Fields of Research

• Drug Discovery and Precision Medicine

• Targeted Protein Degradation

• Induced Proximity

Research Summary

One of the hallmarks of cancer is the deregulation of signal transduction – cancer cells are experts in rewiring proteomic, transcriptional, and epigenetic networks to drive cell growth and survival. While these pathways identify targetable vulnerabilities in cancer, there remains a shortage of targeted agents that disrupt critical signaling nodes and/or overcome drug resistance.

Rather than block or disable a protein, the Nabet lab focuses on developing strategies that exploit the cell’s mechanisms for degrading proteins to eliminate cancer-causing proteins with speed and precision. We use these cutting-edge degradation-based technologies to discover, validate, and gain insights into the normal and aberrant functions of clinically relevant targets. Through these efforts, we work to deepen our biological understanding of the molecular circuits that drive cancer cell survival and growth. Our goal is to translate these insights into new therapeutic solutions for unmet medical needs.

Projects in the Nabet lab are currently focused on: (1) developing novel degradation-based technologies to study proteins that orchestrate normal cell fate decisions and that drive tumorigenesis; (2) establishing the clinical potential of targeted protein degradation in cancer using small molecule degraders; and (3) expanding the spectrum of chemically induced proximity approaches that modulate protein activity and levels.

Research Statement

The Nabet lab is dedicated to targeting oncogenic signaling networks through the control of protein levels, stability, and activity to advance new therapeutic strategies in cancer.

Awards and Honors

NIH/NCI K22 Transition Career Development Award

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center/University of Washington Cancer Consortium New Investigator Award

Claudia Adams Barr Program for Innovative Cancer Research Award