Slobodan Beronja

Slobodan Beronja, PhD is a Professor in the Human Biology Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch). His research focuses on understanding skin development mechanisms to better comprehend skin cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma.

Dr. Beronja's educational background includes a PhD from the University of Toronto (2006) and a BS in Zoology from the University of Toronto (2000).

His laboratory studies molecular and cellular mechanisms essential for tissue growth during development and tumorigenesis, with the goal of identifying genes and pathways that can serve as targets in cancer therapy. The lab uses mouse skin epidermis and epidermal squamous cell carcinoma as primary models due to skin's well-defined physiological structure (epithelial epidermis and mesenchymal dermis), its relevance to human health (skin SCC represents approximately 700,000 new US cases annually), and the availability of powerful gene analysis tools including in utero lentiviral injection techniques.

Research in the Beronja Lab is organized around three main approaches: candidate-based gene function analysis following an RNAi screen of ~16,000 mouse genes; large-scale investigation of tumor initiation modifiers using pooled lentiviral RNAi; and development of general epithelial growth models applicable to oral, mammary, and airway tissues.

• Phone: 206.667.7609
• Email: beronja@fredhutch.org
• Fax: 206.667.2917

His recent work has revealed important insights about how body location influences cancer development and how opposing cellular mechanisms maintain tissue homeostasis to prevent cancer formation. Dr. Beronja also participates in clinical research, including the trial 'Functional Characterization of Cancer Drivers in Oral Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma'.