In the past, primary brain tumors were viewed as diseases that merely invade and destroy brain tissue. However, researchers now recognize that these tumors actually integrate into the brain’s circuitry as they grow and progress. Building on these insights, my research aims to uncover how brain tumors integrate into neural networks and influence cognitive processes such as learning and behavior.
Photo by Celia Muto
What are the big questions driving your research?
My research investigates how brain tumors alter neuronal activity across long-range networks. We know that tumors induce profound changes within the local microenvironment, but we are now interested in understanding how these tumor-associated networks influence distal cell types and disrupt local circuit function. We aim to determine whether certain regions are more vulnerable to tumor-induced dysregulation than others and to uncover the molecular and circuit-level mechanisms underlying these vulnerabilities. Finally, we aim to identify early behavioral and cognitive alterations that reflect how a patient’s tumor uniquely engages with their neural circuitry, providing potential translational insight into disease progression.
What drew you to this area of neuroscience?
Before joining Humsa Venkatesh’s lab, I had no prior experience in cancer research. However, I had always been fascinated by how the brain communicates with non-neuronal cells and other organ systems, so studying neuron–cancer interactions turned out to be a perfect scientific fit. Working in this field has shown me how deeply interconnected neuroscience, oncology, immunology, and systems biology truly are. Cancer neuroscience blends these disciplines in ways that are both intellectually challenging and deeply rewarding, bringing together researchers from diverse backgrounds to think beyond traditional boundaries and address complex biological questions. The field is also still relatively new and is advancing rapidly, with foundational discoveries emerging almost every day. I find it inspiring to be a graduate student in such a dynamic research environment, contributing to work that expands our understanding while also holding the potential to make a real impact for patients.
What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned in the lab or classroom so far?
At the start of my PhD, I essentially gave myself a crash course in cancer biology, as I had very little prior background in the subject. I was struck by how the aggressiveness of many cancers is intrinsically linked to their ability to remodel the surrounding environment into a more plastic state and to co-opt normal developmental processes for their own advantage. Through studying brain tumors, I gained a much deeper understanding of normal neuronal development. This interplay between malignancy and development is both fascinating and sobering, as it highlights how the same mechanisms that drive growth and plasticity in healthy tissue can be exploited in disease.
What is an emerging area of science that you are excited about? Where you see potential for big discoveries in the next decade?
It is not so much a distinct field as an emerging paradigm, but one aspect of science that particularly excites me is the increasing collaboration across disciplines to tackle multifaceted biological problems. Cross-field partnerships are becoming essential for advancing our understanding of disease mechanisms and for developing innovative therapeutic strategies. Researchers from traditionally separate areas are now combining their expertise to explore problems that cannot be solved within a single discipline. This growing spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration holds tremendous promise for transformative discoveries in the coming decade and for improving patient outcomes.