FACULTY 

Nancy Zeleznik-Le, PhD

Chair, Cancer Biology
Professor, Cancer Biology; Medicine
nzelezn@luc.edu   CBCC 337

Research Interests

• MLL leukemias
• Hematopoiesis
• Chromatin-mediated gene regulation and epigenetics

Maurizio Bocchetta, PhD

Associate Professor, Cancer Biology,
Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
mbocche@luc.edu
CBCC 204
Office: 708-327-3362

Research Interests:

• OTUD6B deubiquitinase
• MYC oncogene
• Lung adenocarcinoma

Weihang "Valerie" Chai, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology
vchai@luc.edu   CBCC 236

Research Interests

• Genomic stability in carcinogenesis and cancer therapy
• Colon cancer genetic risk factors
• Chemo-resistance in triple-negative breast cancer
• UV DNA damage repair
• Sensitizing cancer cells to chemo drugs

Mitchell F. Denning, PhD

Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Professor, Cancer Biology; 
Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience
mdennin@luc.edu   CBCC 237

Research Interests

• Keratinocyte and melanocyte biology
• Ultraviolet radiation induced skin carcinogenesis
• Protein kinase C signaling

 Andrew Dingwall, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology; Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology
Director, MD/PhD Program
adingwall@luc.edu   CBCC 334

Research Interests

• Chromatin remodeling
• COMPASS methyltransferase complex
• Epigenetic gene regulation
• Enhancer control in development and cancer

Sean W. Fanning, PhD

Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
sfanning@luc.edu   CBCC 234

Research Interests

• Breast cancer
• Nuclear receptors
• Drug resistance
• Structure-based drug discovery

Kimberly E. Foreman, PhD

Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
kforema@luc.edu   CBCC 235

Research Interests

• Viral oncology
• Medical education
• Education outcomes

Irida Kastrati, PhD

Assistant Professor,  Cancer Biology
ikastrati@luc.edu   CBCC 233

Research Interests

• Breast cancer
• Selenoproteins
• Racial disparity
• Therapeutic targets in therapy resistance and recurrence
• Drug Development

Steven Kregel, PhD

Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
skregel@luc.edu     CBCC 205

Research Interests

• Prostate cancer and urologic research
• Androgen receptor signaling
• Hormone therapies and resistance
• Tumor immune microenvironment

Phong T. Le, PhD 

Professor, Microbiology & Immunology;
Cancer Biology
ple@luc.edu   CBCC 304

Research Interests

• T-cell development
• Thymic epithelial cell biology
• Exosomes

Michael Nishimura, PhD

Professor, Surgical Research; Cancer Biology
Associate Director, Cancer Center Translational Research
Program Director, Immunologic Therapeutics
mnishimura@luc.edu   CBCC 301

Research Interests

• Tumor immunology
• Immunotherapy

Clodia Osipo, PhD 

Professor, Cancer Biology;
Microbiology & Immunology
cosipo@luc.edu   CBCC 238

Research Interests

• Breast cancer
• Cancer stem cells
• Notch signaling

Wei Qiu, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology; Surgical Research
wqiu@luc.edu   CBCC 338

Research Interests

• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Tumor cell signaling pathways
• Mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in HCC
• Alcoholic liver disease

Nan Sethakorn, MD. PhD

Assistant Professor, Hematology/Oncology  and Cancer Biology
nan.sethakorn@lumc.edu CBCC 203

Research Interests

• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Bone metastases
• Tumor microenvironment
• Resistance to targeted therapies

Ali Vaziri-Gohar, PhD

Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
avaziri1@luc.edu CBCC 305

Research Interests

• Pancreatic cancer
• Metabolic vulnerabilities in tumor microenvironment
• Metabolic dependencies of gene regulation
• Development of novel targeted therapies
• Drug resistance

Derek Wainwright, PhD

Associate Professor, Cancer Biology and Neurological Surgery
Scientific Director, Brain Tumor Research
Program Leader, Cancer Biology and Therapeutics
dwainwr@luc.edu   CBCC 202

Research Interests

• Glioblastoma
• Cancer immunology and immunotherapy
• Aging and cancer
• Neuroimmunology
• Mechanisms of resistance to therapy for cancer

Jiwang Zhang, MD, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology; Radiation Oncology
jzhang@luc.edu   CBCC 336

Research Interests

• Hematopoiesis
• Stem cell self-renewal
• Bone marrow microenvironment
• Cell signaling

EMERITUS FACULTY

Manuel Diaz, MD 

Professor Emeritus, Cancer Biology
mdiaz2@luc.edu   CBCC 333

Research Interests

• MLL and MLL fusion proteins
• Leukemogenesis

FACULTY 

Nancy Zeleznik-Le, PhD

Chair, Cancer Biology
Professor, Cancer Biology; Medicine
nzelezn@luc.edu   CBCC 337

Research Interests

• MLL leukemias
• Hematopoiesis
• Chromatin-mediated gene regulation and epigenetics

Maurizio Bochetta, PhD

Associate Professor, Cancer Biology,
Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
mbocche@luc.edu
CBCC 204
Office: 708-327-3362

Research Interests:

• OTUD6B deubiquitinase
• MYC oncogene
• Lung adenocarcinoma

Weihang "Valerie" Chai, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology
vchai@luc.edu   CBCC 236

Research Interests

• Genomic stability, DNA replication and repair
• Telomere maintenance
• Carcinogenesis

Mitchell Denning, PhD

Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Professor, Cancer Biology
Stritch School of Medicine
mdennin@luc.edu   CBCC 237

Research Interests

• Keratinocyte biology
• Ultraviolet radiation induced skin carcinogenesis
• Protein kinase C

 Andrew Dingwall, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology; Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Associate Director, MD/PhD Program
adingwall@luc.edu   CBCC 334

Research Interests

• Chromatin remodeling
• COMPASS methyltransferase complex
• Epigenetic gene regulation
• Enhancer control in development and cancer

Sean W. Fanning, PhD

Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
sfanning@luc.edu   CBCC 203

Research Interests

• Breast cancer
• Nuclear receptors
• Drug resistance
• Structure-based drug discovery

Kimberly E. Foreman, PhD

Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
kforema@luc.edu   CBCC 235

Research Interests

• Viral oncology
• Medical education
• Education outcomes

Irida Kastrati, PhD

Assistant Professor,  Cancer Biology
ikastrati@luc.edu   CBCC 233

Research Interests

• Breast cancer
• Endocrine therapy resistance and recurrence
• Identification of new therapeutic targets

Steven Kregel, PhD

Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
skregel@luc.edu     CBCC 205

• Prostate Cancer and Urologic Research
• Androgen Receptor Signaling
• Hormone Therapies and Resistance
• Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Phong T. Le, PhD 

Professor, Microbiology & Immunology;
Cancer Biology
ple@luc.edu   CBCC 304

Research Interests

• T-cell development
• Thymic epithelial cell biology
• Exosomes

Michael Nishimura, PhD

Professor, Surgical Research; Cancer Biology
Associate Director, Cancer Center Translational Research
Program Director, Immunologic Therapeutics
mnishimura@luc.edu   CBCC 301

Research Interests

• Tumor Immunology
• Immunotherapy

Clodia Osipo, PhD 

Professor, Cancer Biology;
Microbiology & Immunology
cosipo@luc.edu   CBCC 238

Research Interests

• Breast cancer
• Cancer stem cells
• Notch signaling

Wei Qiu, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology; Surgical Research
wqiu@luc.edu   CBCC 338

Research Interests

• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Tumor cell signaling pathways
• Mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in HCC
• Alcoholic liver disease

Nan Sethakorn, MD. PhD

Assistant Professor, Hematology/Oncology  and Cancer Biology
nan.sethakorn@lumc.edu CBCC 203

Researh Interests:

• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Bone metastases
• Tumor microenvironment and resistance to targeted therapies

Jiwang Zhang, MD, PhD

Professor, Cancer Biology; Radiation Oncology
jzhang@luc.edu   CBCC 336

Research Interests

• Hematopoiesis
• Stem cell self-renewal
• Bone marrow microenvironment and cell signaling

EMERITUS FACULTY

Manuel Diaz, MD 

Professor Emeritus, Cancer Biology
mdiaz2@luc.edu   CBCC 333

Research Interests

• MLL and MLL fusion proteins
• Leukemogenesis