Meghan Ferrall-Fairbanks

Dr. Meghan Ferrall-Fairbanks is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida. She leads the BEAT (Battling Evolution through Adaptive Therapies) Cancer Lab, which integrates computational, mathematical, and experimental approaches to study tumor heterogeneity and evolutionary dynamics in cancer. Her research aims to optimize treatment strategies by understanding how ecological and evolutionary forces drive tumor growth and metastasis.

Education:

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida (2012)
• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University (2017)

Research Focus: Dr. Ferrall-Fairbanks' work spans quantitative systems biology, mathematical modeling of cancer evolution, and mechanisms of drug resistance. Her lab explores tumor heterogeneity at molecular, tissue, and systems levels, with a focus on adaptive therapy, proteolytic networks, and intratumor diversity. Recent studies include investigating spontaneous cell fusions in tumors and the Warburg effect in early breast cancer.

Publications: Her work spans topics like cancer metabolism, protease kinetics, and single-cell sequencing analysis. Notable contributions include modeling tumor evolution, developing algorithms to predict protease interactions, and analyzing clinical outcomes in renal cell carcinoma.

Awards:

• AACR Doreen J. Putrah Scholar-in-Training Award (2020)
• BMES Career Development Award (2019)
• Georgia Tech Faces of Inclusive Excellence (2015)

Labs & Collaborations: The BEAT Cancer Lab collaborates across disciplines to bridge computational models with experimental validation. Current projects include developing predictive models of tumor response and investigating mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in myeloid neoplasms.