Lab Members

Professor

I did my undergraduate studies at Trinity College in Hartford, CT where I received my BS in Biology with Honors.  I earned my PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Harvard University in 1994.   After completing postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Art Mercurio, I started an independent research lab in the Pathology Department at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in 1999.  In 2005, I moved my lab to UMass Chan Medical School where I am currently a Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell & Cancer Biology.

My research interest is in understanding the malignant progression of cancer from primary tumor to metastatic disease.  As a cell biologist by training, I have always been interested in how normal cells function.  As a cancer researcher, my goal is to elucidate how molecules or signaling pathways that control normal cell functions are co-opted in tumor cells to overcome normal controls and checkpoints to facilitate metastasis.  My lab aims to translate basic science discoveries into novel treatment approaches for metastatic cancer. 

MD/Ph.D Student

Claire graduated from The College of William & Mary in 2015 with a BS in Biology. After college, she was an IRTA postbaccalaureate fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for three years before joining the University of Massachusetts Medical School MD/PhD program. Claire joined the Shaw Lab in 2020 to study the role of the kinase BMP2K in breast cancer invasion. When not in the lab, she enjoys swimming, hiking, and making pottery.

Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Student

Mac graduated from Worcester State University in 2019 with a BS in Biology. After college, he was an Associate Scientist at AbbVie characterizing drug process-related impurities for four years before joining UMass Chan Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Science. Mac joined the Shaw Lab in 2025 to study the role of IRS2 in regulating mitosis. Outside of the lab, he enjoys coffee, gaming, and spending time with friends.

PREP Student

Emily graduated from Salem State University in 2026 with a BS in biology as a Commonwealth Honors Scholar. While in undergrad, she completed her honors thesis in the lab of Dr. Jason M. Brown, investigating cilia gene regulation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. She also completed a summer internship at Cell Signaling Technology, working on a production team in the Global Operations department. Emily joined the Shaw lab in 2026 as a PREP student with the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to investigate the role of IRS2 in cancer cell invasion. Outside of the lab, she enjoys thrifting, plant shopping, and spending time with friends and her cat, Willow.

Research Associate IV/Lab Manager

Jennifer received her BS in Biotechnology and MS in Biology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1999.  Her work in the Shaw Lab currently focuses on the IRS-1 and IRS-2 proteins and their distinct roles in breast cancer. The lab is interested in these proteins for the roles they play in signaling, invasion, self-renewal, and stemness. Outside of the lab Jen is adapting to empty nesting (her children are away at college at West Virginia University and University of Cincinnati) while spending time with her husband and 2 rescue dogs, drinking lots of coffee and watching sports.

Volunteer Researcher

Jeannie received her BS in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Having her life affected by breast cancer personally, she joined the Shaw Lab in 2022 as a volunteering research intern. When not in the lab, she works as a community representative for cancer and public health advocacy. In her spare time, she enjoys walking with her husband and therapy dog named Cookie.