Thesis Thursday- Dr. Joyce Schroeder

Joyce Schroeder, PhD, holds research interests in the area of breast cancer progression and invasion. Transgenic mouse models of spontaneous carcinoma are used to understand the molecular mechanisms of primary tumor development and metastatic progression. Tumor growth and invasion is a complex process requiring the use of animal models to accurately recapitulate tumor formation and spread so that we can properly investigate the molecular mechanisms of cancer.

Dr. Schroeder’s work focuses on investigating the mechanisms by which erbB (EGFR) activity is modified in cancer, including interactions with MUC1 and CD44. She also explores changes in polarity that occurs between normal and transformed epithelium. To fully understand the molecular changes that occur in cancer, her research also focuses on these molecules as they affect the development and function of the normal mammary gland. Dr. Schroeder’s lab is also working towards the development of peptide-based therapies to block tumor-promoting protein-protein interactions as cancer therapeutics.