Prof. Whitney Henry

One of the longstanding challenges that accounts for high cancer mortality is the failure to effectively eradicate subpopulations of cancer cells that are highly metastatic, therapy-resistant, and therefore critical instigators of tumor relapse. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of cell death driven by oxidative modifications of membrane phospholipids. The use of ferroptosis inducers to target these subpopulations of highly aggressive cells is an attractive adjuvant to many existing anti-cancer therapeutics and has gained much excitement over the last few years. To gain a comprehensive understanding of ferroptosis' full therapeutic potential, our research is focused on uncovering the molecular factors influencing ferroptosis susceptibility, investigating its effects on the tumor microenvironment, and developing innovative methods to manipulate ferroptosis resistance in living organisms. Our approach is multidisciplinary, drawing from functional genomics, metabolomics, bioengineering, and a range of in vitro and in vivo models. By combining these techniques, we aim to advance our knowledge in this field and ultimately translate our discoveries into effective cancer therapies.