faculty lab

The Wheeler Lab

The Wheeler Lab studies how receptor tyrosine kinase signaling drives therapeutic resistance and immune evasion in cancer, with a focus on head and neck cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.

Resistance to therapy and suppression of anti-tumor immunity are major barriers to durable cancer treatment. We investigate the signaling networks that allow cancer cells to survive therapy, remodel the tumor microenvironment, and escape immune-mediated killing. By integrating mechanistic studies with mouse models, human tumors, and translational research, we seek to identify cancer vulnerabilities that can be targeted therapeutically and rapidly advanced into early-phase clinical trials.