Edna Cukierman

Edna Cukierman is a Professor and Program Leader at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, holding the Marvin & Concetta Greenberg Chair in Pancreatic Cancer Research and the ACS Wilmott Family Professorship. She leads the Cukierman Laboratory, focused on understanding the role of desmoplasia (dense mesenchymal microenvironment) in tumor progression, particularly in pancreatic cancer. Her work employs 3D culturing systems and innovative tools like HOST (Harmonic Output of Stromal Traits) to analyze tumor microenvironment dynamics.

• Affiliations: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, AACR TME Working Group Chair (2024-2026).
• Education: PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 1997), Postdoctoral training at NIH (1997-2002).

Research interests include cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), extracellular matrix (ECM), and tumor immunology. Key achievements include developing the HOST-Factor metric to assess TME prognostic indicators and identifying therapeutic targets like Netrin G1 and FABP4-tastic pancreatic stellate cells.

• Awards: AACR TME Working Group Chair, Pancreatic Cancer Cure Foundation Awards, NIH study section membership, and multiple imaging awards for microscopy contributions.

Her lab collaborates with institutions like Drexel University and Penn Medicine, focusing on translational research to improve patient outcomes through stroma-targeted therapies.