Science

The Drexler Laboratory investigates how neuronal activity drives brain cancer progression, and how diverse brain-resident cell types shape the electrically active networks that exist between tumor cells and neurons. By dissecting these interactions, we aim to uncover novel therapeutic strategies that can be translated into the clinic to benefit patients with brain cancer.

In parallel, we study how brain cancer cells perturb brain-wide circuits and how this circuit-level disruption contributes to the behavioral and cognitive changes experienced by patients. Our work focuses on the signaling mechanisms by which tumors influence distant brain regions that govern essential functions, with the goal of understanding how remodeling at the circuit level gives rise to symptoms beyond the tumor itself.

Elucidating these mechanisms will open new avenues for therapies that not only target tumor progression but also improve quality of life for patients living with brain cancer.