The purpose of this research program is to develop novel low toxicity therapies for the treatment of brain tumors. Members of the lab are affiliated with the departments Pediatrics, Neurosurgery, Neuroscience, and Neurology within the University of Minnesota and  University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. The laboratory is divided into teams that focus on basic biology / target discovery, immunotherapy, gene therapy, small molecule drug therapy, and drug delivery. The majority of bench research involves the use of tissue culture and animal models. Clinical studies in humans and dogs diagnosed with  malignant brain tumors are currently underway with local and national collaborators. If you are a brain tumor patient, or your dog has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, the links on this web page may provide useful information.

The laboratory is actively involved in education, participating in undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training programs (see lab staff). University of Minnesota graduate students from the programs of Neuroscience, Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology (MICAB), and Comparative and Molecular Biosciences (CMB) are eligible to join the laboratory. Clinical residents and fellows in the Departments of Pediatrics, Neurosurgery, and Neurology are eligible for a research rotation in the laboratory. Undergraduates with an interest in brain tumor research may be eligible to conduct directed research for credit. Medical students may contact the lab if interested in volunteer research. The lab is always seeking driven and determined individuals to join one of the key focus teams.