Erik R Nelson

Erik R Nelson is an Associate Professor in Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Illinois, with affiliations in Nutritional Sciences, the Beckman Institute, and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. He holds roles as Program Leader of the Cancer Center at Illinois and Co-Leader of the Cancer Engineering and Biological Systems theme. His research focuses on endocrine and metabolic control of breast and ovarian cancer, emphasizing cholesterol metabolism's role in tumor progression and immune modulation. Dr. Nelson's work integrates physiology, immunology, and in vivo models to develop novel therapeutic strategies.

Education: B.Sc. Zoology (2002, University of Calgary), Ph.D. Comparative Endocrinology (2008, University of Calgary), Postdoctoral training at Duke University (2008-2014).

Research interests center on cholesterol biology's impact on tumor-associated immune cells and cancer cell signaling pathways. Key areas include immunogenic cell death mechanisms, extracellular vesicle regulation, and nuclear receptor signaling in the tumor microenvironment. His lab has identified critical roles for 27-hydroxycholesterol and ABCA1 in immune cell reprogramming, advancing targeted therapies for metastatic cancers.

Publications (2021-2025) highlight breakthroughs in immunogenic necrosis induction, cholesterol-driven immune suppression, and small-molecule therapeutics achieving complete tumor regression. Awards include the 2021 Era of Hope Scholar Award and multiple teaching excellence recognitions. Grants and collaborations span NIH, Department of Defense, and industry partnerships.

Labs/Teams: Nelson Lab at the Cancer Center, part of interdisciplinary teams in anticancer discovery and personalized nutrition initiatives.