Michael T. Barrett, Ph.D.

Location

Contact

SUMMARY

The primary research interest of Michael T. Barrett, Ph.D., is to comprehensively study the clonal evolution of neoplasia and cancer in patients who are at risk of or have already progressed to malignant disease.

The fundamental hypothesis of Dr. Barrett's research is that clonally selected events, such as gene mutations and amplifications that are essential for the progression to cancer, represent highly favorable markers and targets that can be exploited for improved patient care.

Focus areas

• Clonal evolution in progression and therapeutic responses of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and other solid tumors
• Development and application of technologies to allow whole-genome interrogation of archived clinical samples
• Identification of new therapeutic targets and strategies in human cancers

Significance to patient care

Dr. Barrett's overall interest in the role of genomic instability in the evolution of cancer is directed toward fulfilling the need for high-definition tools to study the complex nature of cancer genomes. He works to apply genomic tools and technologies to develop and advance more-effective therapeutic strategies for patients with cancer.