Fields of Research
- Intercellular signaling
- Collective cell invasion
- Tumor heterogeneity
Research Summary
Cellular and molecular basis of tumor cell cluster metastasis.
Research Statement
A grand challenge in cancer biology is the problem of metastasis, the process by which tumor cells seed distant organs. Conventional thinking holds that metastases are seeded by single tumor cells, but recent experimental and clinical studies have unveiled the importance of a collective strategy, in which tumor cells efficiently metastasize as clusters. My laboratory pursues the unique questions that emerge from the clustered state. We are particularly intrigued by mechanisms for cell specialization and cooperation, and their implications for metastasis early detection, prognosis, and therapy.
Awards and Honors
Helen B. Taussig Award (Johns Hopkins)
V Foundation Scholar
Young Physician-Scientist Award (ASCI)
R. R. Bensley Award in Cell Biology (AAA)
Kevin Cheung
Assistant Member, Fred Hutch
Affiliations
UW Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program
NIH/NCI R37
DoD Era of Hope Scholar
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award
Kevin Cheung
Assistant Member, Fred Hutch
Affiliations
UW Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program
NIH/NCI R37
DoD Era of Hope Scholar
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award
Faculty
- Building:
- Arnold Building
- Box:
- M5-A864
- Phone:
- 206-667-6276
- Web Link:
- http://research.fhcrc.org/cheung/en.html
Lab
- Building:
- Arnold Building
- Box:
- M5-A851
- Web Link:
- http://research.fhcrc.org/cheung/en.html
Kevin Cheung
Assistant Member, Fred Hutch
Affiliations
UW Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program
NIH/NCI R37
DoD Era of Hope Scholar
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award
MCB529
Kevin Cheung
Assistant Member, Fred Hutch
Affiliations
UW Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program
NIH/NCI R37
DoD Era of Hope Scholar
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award
Emma Wrenn
Andie Doak
Ami Yamamoto
Erin Greenwood
Brad Krajina
Kevin Cheung
Assistant Member, Fred Hutch
Affiliations
UW Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program
NIH/NCI R37
DoD Era of Hope Scholar
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award
Select Publications
Cheung KJ, Ewald AJ. A collective route to metastasis: seeding by tumor cell clusters. Science 2016. 352, 167-169.
Cheung KJ*, Padmanaban V, Silvestri V, Schipper K, Cohen JD, Fairchild AN, Gorin MA, Verdone JE, Pienta KJ, Bader JS, Ewald AJ*. Polyclonal breast cancer metastases arise from collective dissemination of keratin 14-expressing tumor cell clusters. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 2016 Feb 1. pii: 201508541. *Co-Corresponding Authors.
Cheung KJ*, Ewald AJ*. Illuminating breast cancer invasion: diverse roles for cell-cell interactions. Current Opinion in Cell Biology 2014; 30C:99-111. *Co-Corresponding Authors.
Cheung KJ, Gabrielson E, Werb Z, Ewald AJ. Collective invasion in breast cancer requires a conserved basal epithelial program. Cell 2013; 155(7):1639-51.
Kevin Cheung
Assistant Member, Fred Hutch
Affiliations
UW Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program
NIH/NCI R37
DoD Era of Hope Scholar
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award