Elda Grabocka

Elda Grabocka, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Cancer Biology at the College of Life Sciences. Her research focuses on RAS-driven cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, where she investigates stress adaptation mechanisms, drug resistance, and therapeutic targeting strategies.

Education includes:

• PhD, Structural Biology and Molecular Pharmacology (2007)
• BS, Biology, Washington College

Dr. Grabocka's research explores how mutant RAS genes (KRAS, NRAS, HRAS) drive tumor progression in 30% of human cancers. Key areas include:

• Stress granule formation in KRAS-driven drug resistance
• 3D cell culture and mouse modeling of pancreatic cancer
• Oncogenic signaling and stress response interplay
• Reprogramming of DNA damage pathways in cancer

Her work aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for aggressive cancers lacking treatment options.