LC Seminar Corey Weistuch
Corey Weistuch
Assistant Attending Physicist
Department of Medical Physics
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
LC 101 at 11:30 AM
Title: Exploiting Conserved Tumor Behaviors for Evolutionary Cancer Medicine
Abstract: Tumors and their drug sensitivities evolve over time, leading to drug resistance, metastasis, and ultimately, treatment failure. Traditional personalized cancer therapies have largely focused on targeting genetic mutations, but this approach has been ineffective for many cancers that do not progress primarily through mutation accumulation or lack targetable alterations. In this talk, I will present a novel framework for identifying, targeting, and longitudinally monitoring tumor behaviors --- functional phenotypic states --- rather than relying solely on genetic features. This strategy has the potential to enable tumor-type and genotype-agnostic monitoring of drug sensitivities, providing a more adaptable and generalizable approach to treatment. I will also outline key challenges and translational efforts needed to bring this framework into clinical practice, as well as explore how leveraging tumor dynamics could lead to more effective therapies. More broadly, this discussion will highlight fundamental questions at the intersection of cancer biology, mathematical modeling, and patient care.
