The Hwang Laboratory (or LaSSO Research Group) has a deep interest in the immense phenotypic, temporal and spatial heterogeneity of tumor ecosystems and the many insights that can only be gleaned by studying these systems at the level of their individual components—single molecules or cells. Research in the Hwang Laboratory is focused on studying tumor-stroma interactions at unprecedented resolution through the development and application of techniques in single-cell and spatial biology, multiplexed imaging, and functional genetic screens to patient-derived specimens, organoids, and mouse models to elucidate mechanisms of:

• Therapeutic resistance mediated by genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic factors including cell state plasticity
• Treatment-mediated remodeling of the spatial microarchitecture of tumors and underlying cancer cell-stromal interactions
• Tumor-nerve crosstalk, which plays a critical role in the pathophysiology and morbidity of many malignancies but remains understudied