معرفی
Yonathan Lissanu, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Research within the Division of Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with a joint appointment in the Department of Genomic Medicine. His research program focuses on understanding the molecular basis of cancers with genomic alterations in chromatin and epigenetic regulators, with particular emphasis on lung cancer.
Dr. Lissanu's research interests center on identifying therapeutically relevant vulnerabilities in tumors with mutations in chromatin remodeling complexes, particularly the SWI/SNF complex. His laboratory employs functional genomics, mouse genetics, and chemical biology approaches to elucidate genetic vulnerabilities in cancer subtypes. A major focus of his work involves targeted protein degradation using proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) against cancer-relevant targets like glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and SMARCA2. His team has made significant contributions to understanding how SWI/SNF mutations create metabolic dependencies on oxidative phosphorylation and confer resistance to immunotherapies.
Analysis of Dr. Lissanu's publication record reveals a strong focus on chromatin biology and cancer therapeutics, with particular emphasis on SWI/SNF complex mutations across multiple cancer types. His work bridges basic science discoveries with therapeutic development, particularly in the areas of targeted protein degradation and metabolic vulnerabilities. The progression of his research shows increasing sophistication in connecting molecular mechanisms to therapeutic opportunities, with recent work exploring combination strategies and resistance mechanisms.
Dr. Lissanu currently mentors a research scientist, four postdoctoral fellows, an undergraduate student, and a research associate, indicating an active and growing research program. His laboratory, the Lissanu Laboratory, is dedicated to translating basic cancer biology understanding into novel cancer therapeutics, with particular focus on lung cancers with mutations in epigenetic and chromatin regulators. The laboratory actively seeks motivated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to join their work in cancer functional genomics and therapeutics discovery.
