Research Interests
The investigation of molecular mechanisms and targeted therapies is critical to help us understand the causes of thyroid cancer, how the tumor grows and spreads, and how we can find new ways to treat advanced disease for which there is currently no cure. The deregulation of protein kinases plays a major role in promoting tumorigenesis in the majority of human cancers, including thyroid cancer, and targeting this deregulated activity has led to major breakthroughs in cancer therapy. The goals of Dr. Rebecca Schweppe’s lab are to understand the regulation and function of deregulated kinase pathways in thyroid cancer in order to develop more effective therapies. We use translational approaches using cell lines derived from thyroid tumors to understand why some tumors are sensitive or resistant to different kinase-directed therapies, with the goal of identifying predictive biomarkers of response, and improving clinical responses. Ultimately, these studies will identify rational and more specific therapies for patients with advanced thyroid cancer.
Training Statement:
In 2013, I was recognized with the “Rising Stars” outstanding junior faculty award from the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado for excellence in research and teaching. I am very committed to training PhD and MD scientists, and have been actively involved in graduate student training since 2012. I have held key leadership roles in the Cancer Biology Graduate Program, including Associate Director, Student Advisor, and Chair of Admissions, and in August of 2021, I became Program Director. In 2014, I received an Outstanding Faculty Sponsor award and in 2019, I received the Dean's Doctoral Mentoring Award, both from the University of Colorado Graduate School. In summary, I have demonstrated that I have developed the necessary and innovative tools to study kinase signaling in thyroid cancer, and the necessary skills to mentor students and postdoctoral fellows in cancer research.