Shaw Lab Research
The Shaw lab is interested in breast cancer progression and the mechanisms that drive aggressive tumor behavior and poor patient outcomes. We have had a longstanding interest in the insulin and IGF signaling (IIS) pathway and the mechanisms by which this signaling axis regulates tumor cell function. IIS is associated with poor outcomes in breast cancer, particularly in the context of obesity and other hyperinsulinemic conditions, when pathway activity is upregulated. We study how IIS pathway function is altered in breast tumor cells to overcome normal controls and checkpoints to facilitate metastasis. Ongoing projects in the lab focus on understanding how the Insulin Receptor Substrate (IRS) adaptor proteins determine cellular outcomes in response to pathway activation. The goal of our work is to elucidate the molecular and structural basis for differential IRS regulation of tumor cell function and to elaborate novel approaches for improved therapy and breast cancer outcomes.
Shaw Lab News
| January 2026 |
Claire published her paper in Molecular Therapy "Therapeutic delivery of albumin-binding siRNA targeting IRS2 to diverse cell types reduces mammary tumor growth". |
| December 2025 |
We said good bye and good luck to Quyen as she pursues new opportunities |
| November 2025 |
Michael won FIRST PRIZE at the Three Minute Thesis competition for his talk "Making Treatment for Aggressive Breast Cancer More Effective" and he received $1,000 and a chance to compete at a regional 3MT competition in the spring. |
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June 2025 |
We wish Minjeong all the best as she begins her new position as a Research Associate III in Ken Rock's lab in the Department of Pathology. |
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May 2025 |
The Shaw Lab welcomes Mac (Michael-Anthony Card) to the lab as a GSBS student. |
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May 2025 |
Congratulations to Dr. Claire Tocheny as she succesfully defended her doctoral thesis entitled "Exploration of IRS2 as a therapeutic target in breast cancer". |
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January 2025 |
Congratulations to Minjeong and her husband Seong on the birth of their son, Jun. Jun joins big sister Jiu. |
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October 2024 |
Michael presented his current work in a talk and poster at the Cancer Biology Program retreat held at Holy Cross. |
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September 2024 |
Minjeong and the Shaw lab publishes in JBC "Fluorescent tagging of endogenous IRS2 with an auxin-dependent degron to assess dynamic intracellular localization and function." |
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September 2024 |
A new R01 grant for the lab was funded: "IRS2 and mitotic regulation in breast cancer" |