Faculty Seminar Elisa Oricchio: Integrating multiple dimensions to understand tumor evolution and design new therapies
Event details
| Date | 04.04.2025 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:15 |
| Speaker | Prof Elisa Oricchio |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract:
Cancer is a disease that adapts and evolves in response to various growth conditions and environmental signals through genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptional modifications. The genetic evolution of a tumor occurs as a result of the gradual accumulation of various genomic alterations, such as mutations and chromosomal abnormalities. However, tumors can continue to progress and develop resistance to treatments even without acquiring new genetic changes, underscoring the importance of non-genetic mechanisms in tumor evolution. In my laboratory, we are interested in understanding the interplay between genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and how they influence tumor initiation and response to anti-cancer therapies. In particular, over the past years, we have determined how cancer cells co-opt the tridimensional (3D) structure of the chromatin in the nucleus to support tumor development and progression. Moreover, we have demonstrated how the acquisition of specific genomic alterations changes the interaction between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. By integrating these different layers of tumor biology, we have designed and developed new anti-cancer therapies.
Bio:
Elisa Oricchio is an Associate Professor at EPFL and currently serving as director of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC@EPFL) and co-director of the Swiss Cancer Center Leman. She received her Ph.D. in 2008 and did her post-doctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she gained expertise in cancer genomics, genetic manipulation of transgenic animal models, and pre-clinical treatment studies. Currently, her research focuses on cancer genomics, 3D chromatin organization, and B-cell malignancies. Throughout her career, she has identified oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes as new therapeutic targets or as biomarkers to better classify cancer patients. She has integrated linear cancer genomic analyses with tridimensional analyses of the genome to better understand tumor development and evolution. The translational impact of her work has been recognized with the 2024 EACR-Pezcoller Foundation Translation Research Award, the Prix Leenaards for Translation Research, and other awards. She is a board member and representative of young scientists of the European Association of Cancer Research (EACR), which is the major association for cancer research in Europe.
This seminar is part of the evaluation of Prof. Oricchio for the promotion to Full Professor.
Cancer is a disease that adapts and evolves in response to various growth conditions and environmental signals through genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptional modifications. The genetic evolution of a tumor occurs as a result of the gradual accumulation of various genomic alterations, such as mutations and chromosomal abnormalities. However, tumors can continue to progress and develop resistance to treatments even without acquiring new genetic changes, underscoring the importance of non-genetic mechanisms in tumor evolution. In my laboratory, we are interested in understanding the interplay between genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and how they influence tumor initiation and response to anti-cancer therapies. In particular, over the past years, we have determined how cancer cells co-opt the tridimensional (3D) structure of the chromatin in the nucleus to support tumor development and progression. Moreover, we have demonstrated how the acquisition of specific genomic alterations changes the interaction between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. By integrating these different layers of tumor biology, we have designed and developed new anti-cancer therapies.
Bio:
Elisa Oricchio is an Associate Professor at EPFL and currently serving as director of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC@EPFL) and co-director of the Swiss Cancer Center Leman. She received her Ph.D. in 2008 and did her post-doctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she gained expertise in cancer genomics, genetic manipulation of transgenic animal models, and pre-clinical treatment studies. Currently, her research focuses on cancer genomics, 3D chromatin organization, and B-cell malignancies. Throughout her career, she has identified oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes as new therapeutic targets or as biomarkers to better classify cancer patients. She has integrated linear cancer genomic analyses with tridimensional analyses of the genome to better understand tumor development and evolution. The translational impact of her work has been recognized with the 2024 EACR-Pezcoller Foundation Translation Research Award, the Prix Leenaards for Translation Research, and other awards. She is a board member and representative of young scientists of the European Association of Cancer Research (EACR), which is the major association for cancer research in Europe.
This seminar is part of the evaluation of Prof. Oricchio for the promotion to Full Professor.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- SV Deanship