Trever Bivona, M.D., Ph.D.
![](/-/media/post-launch-images/2015/05/scholars/bivona--resize.jpeg?la=en&h=570&w=570&hash=65D4DD371EBC6BF8DD7D2ECAB3A48BF9)
- Title
- Assistant Professor
- Department
- Department of Medicine, Hematology Oncology
- Institution
- University of California, San Francisco
- Address
-
600 16th Street
Room N212D - City, State, ZIP
- San Francisco, CA 94158
- Phone
- (415) 476-9907
- [email protected]
- Website
- http://bivonalab.surgery.ucsf.edu/
- Research field
- Cell Biology; Genetics
- Award year
- 2015
Research
The goal of my research is to explore how tumors with mutations in a specific cell communication process, known as the Ras signaling pathway, become resistant to drugs. Inappropriate activation of the Ras signaling pathway drives the development of a variety of human tumors, including cancers of the lung, pancreas, and colon. Unfortunately, drugs that block Ras function have been clinically ineffective and are often undermined by drug resistance. I discovered that eliminating a specific protein from cancer cells enhances the effectiveness of drugs that inhibit the Ras signaling pathway. Using genetics and tools from cellular and molecular biology, I will identify compounds that can block Ras function in tumor cells from patients. This work could reveal novel strategies for avoiding drug resistance and prolonging patient survival.