Sierra Colavito

Sierra Colavito is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Her work focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms in breast cancer stem-like cells and developing targeted therapies. She collaborates with institutions like Mayo Clinic for health innovation grants and actively mentors graduate students through specialized fellowships.

Education:

• BA in Biology from Williams College (2002)
• PhD in Genetics from Yale University (2010)
• Post-doctoral Fellowship at Yale University and the American Cancer Society (2010–2014)

Research Interests: Colavito’s research examines signal transduction pathways and DNA repair processes in breast cancer. She employs molecular genetic and cell-biological approaches to study cancer stem-like cells, with recent emphasis on AXL kinase targeting and drug combinations for triple-negative breast cancer. Her work bridges fundamental genetics with translational oncology, addressing tumor progression and metastasis mechanisms.

Article Trends: Recent publications (2020–2019) highlight translational cancer research, targeting therapies and drug screening. Earlier work (2014–2004) delves into genetic regulation, DNA repair pathways (e.g., Rad51/Srs2 interactions), and foundational studies in developmental biology (Hunchback gene) and bacterial SOS systems.

Awards:

• Poster Award: Interactions between megakaryocytes and metastatic breast cancer cells at UW Carbone Cancer Center’s Annual Research Retreat (April 2023)
• Presentation Award: Same poster title at Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Retreat (March 2023)

Advising & Grants: Colavito advises graduate students in her laboratory and leads a collaborative research grant with Mayo Clinic Health System. She promotes interdisciplinary training through fellowships supporting research in challenging environments.

Labs & Teams: Her lab investigates breast cancer stem-like cells, with projects exploring megakaryocyte interactions in metastasis and molecular pathways like GLI1/NFkB crosstalk. She collaborates with Mayo Clinic on translational oncology initiatives.