Marjan Rafat, PhD

Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Primary)
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering (Secondary)
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology (Secondary)
Faculty Member, Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center
Faculty Member, Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Education background:
SB, Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PhD, Engineering Sciences, Harvard University
Postdoctoral Scholar, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University

Research interests: 
Our laboratory combines engineering and cancer biology concepts to examine the mechanisms driving breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. We study the relationship between tumor cells, normal tissues, and the immune system to better understand the microenvironment and to determine how each component contributes to metastasis and relapse after therapy. Specifically, we study: (1) the collateral effect of radiation and surgery of normal tissues on tumor and immune cell migration patterns, (2) the molecular profiles of normal tissues wounded from therapy, and (3) the changes in the biomechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment and surrounding normal tissues following therapy. We analyze the physical, chemical, and biological cues that influence cancer metastasis and recurrence at the interface of engineering and medicine.

Lab Website: https://my.vanderbilt.edu/rafatlab/