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About
About

Located at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA, the Department of Molecular, Cell & Cancer Biology is a collaborative group dedicated to translating fundamental discoveries in biomedical research into novel therapeutic strategies for cancer and other diseases.
Faculty
Faculty

Our faculty make innovative, high-impact discoveries in biomedical research in molecular, cell and cancer biology.
Research
Research

Explore how our bold discoveries are redefining our understanding of how diseases start and can be treated.
Bioinformatics Core
Bioinformatics Core

The MCCB Bioinformatics Core is a unique in-house resource that provides cutting-edge bioinformatics and biostatistics support to researchers in the department.
Education
Education

MCCB is dedicated to fostering innovation and training the next generation of scientists. Learn more about how MCCB equips students and early-career researchers with the skills and knowledge to drive scientific discovery.
- Postdoctoral Training
  
  Postdoctoral Training
  
  Educational Enrichment Activities
  
  Professional Development & Support
  
  MCCB Postdoc Achievements
- Graduate Training
  
  Graduate Programs
  
  Educational Enrichment Activities
  
  Professional Development & Support
  
  Current MCCB Students
  
  MCCB Student Achievements
  
  Michael R. Green, MD, PhD, Award in Graduate Research
  
  MCCB Faculty Awards in Education
Support Us
Support Us

Learn more about how you can support MCCB’s fundraising initiatives to advance research at UMass Chan.
- Michael R. Green, MD, PhD, Award in Graduate Research
- UMass Chan Cancer Research Team
MCCB SharePoint

Additional Resources

MCCB students lead in science communication at UMass Chan’s 2025 3MT event

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New research from the Cantor Lab uncovers a targetable vulnerability in BRCA1-deficient cells, revealing a potential therapeutic opportunity for inherited breast cancers.

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Richard Gregory, PhD (center), joined by Dean Terrence R. Flotte, MD (left), and Chancellor Michael F. Collins, MD (right), at the investiture ceremony on September 11, 2025.

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MCCB was formed in 2015 from the merger of the Program in Gene Function and Expression and the Department of Cancer Biology.

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Conducting collaborative, cutting-edge research
to unravel molecular, cellular and genetic mechanisms of disease and translate our discoveries into innovative therapeutic strategies

Research

Explore how our bold discoveries are redefining our understanding of how diseases start and can be treated.

Learn more

Education

Find out how MCCB equips students and early-career researchers with the skills and knowledge to drive scientific discovery.

Support

Learn more about how you can support MCCB’s fundraising initiatives to advance research at UMass Chan.

MCCB Recognitions & Achievements

Highlights from UMass Chan News

Getting Results…

PhD candidate Katherine Murphy receives NIH grant for innovative prostate cancer research

PhD candidate Katherine Murphy received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship for her pancreatic cancer research.

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Recent Publications

Dimitrov et al. Inducing ferroptosis to impede metastasis by inhibiting the calcium channel TRPC6. Cell Rep, 2025. Article | Mercurio Lab
Zhou et al. P21-positive senescent stromal cells promote prostate cancer immune suppression and progression that can be reversed by senolytic therapy. Cancer Discov, 2025. Article | Ruscetti Lab
Kumar et al. Resistance to radiation enhances metastasis by altering RNA metabolism. Sci Adv, 2025. Article | Mercurio Lab
Chowdhury et al. PPT1 is a negative regulator of STING signaling in cancer cells and its inhibition reactivates immune surveillance in cold tumors. Proc Natl Acad Sci, 2025. Article | Ruscetti Lab
Conti et al. Dynamic phosphorylation of Hcm1 promotes fitness in chronic stress. PLoS Genet, 2025. Article | Benanti Lab