Project Grant K99CA283246

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) was awarded a $140,097 Project Grant under the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) to develop data-driven mechanistic models of how cell morphology controls oncogenic signaling. The goal is to quantitatively unravel the mechanisms by which cell geometry drives cell survival and proliferation signaling pathways, particularly in Ras-mutated cancers. The research will combine experimental imaging data with computational modeling to assess how constrained membrane protrusions like blebs and lamellipodia modulate intracellular signaling events. This work is part of the awardee's broader career development to become a computational cancer biophysicist, with additional training in areas like computational modeling and systems biology. The grant was awarded on April 1, 2025 with an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2027.