Prof. Yardena Samuels, Department of Molecular Cell Biology
Director, Ekard Institute for Cancer Diagnosis Research, Moross Integrated Cancer Center
yardena.samuels@weizmann.ac.il
Prof. Samuel’s group aims to discover recurrent tumor-specific mutations in melanoma using high-throughput, whole-exome, and whole-genome sequencing approaches.
Once mutations are identified, the group focuses on characterizing the biochemical, functional, and clinical aspects of the most highly mutated genes.
To facilitate this search, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, Prof. Samuel’s team has established a bank of metastatic melanoma tumors and matched normal tissues.
In addition to the potential insights into basic tumor biology, new opportunities for clinical intervention are likely to be generated through this research.