Laura Danai

Laura Danai is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She holds a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed postdoctoral training at MIT.

Her research focuses on cancer metabolism, particularly the metabolic adaptations of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors within their unique hypoxic and nutrient-limited microenvironments. She investigates how PDAC cells generate biosynthetic precursors for macromolecules despite nutrient constraints, using in vivo models to capture physiological tumor conditions.

Key projects examine metabolic programs supporting PDAC initiation, growth and metastasis, including studies on aspartate limitations, adipose wasting mechanisms, lysosomal amino acid efflux, and microenvironmental regulation of metabolism.