ORBACH LAB
Individual Variation of Drug Metabolizing Enzymes
Levels of drug metabolizing enzymes can vary > 100-fold across individuals. This variation is a critical cause of patient differences in drug efficacy and adverse reactions. Current pre-clinical drug studies often rely on the use of cell lines or animal models, which are not representative of human metabolism and do not capture this variability. We are interested in developing in vitro and computational models that can estimate this variability. These models can be applied to pharmaceutical testing and clinical decision-making to improve personalized therapeutic dosing.
Predictive Models of Toxicity in Breast Cancer
Advances in breast cancer treatments have greatly improved survival outcomes. However, these new medications are associated with a high risk of adverse reactions. Although certain patient factors, such as obesity, correlate with an increased risk of toxicity, we are generally unable to predict which patients will experience these devastating side effects. We are using secondary patient data and human biospecimens to identify biomarkers to determine the risk of treatment-induced toxicity in individuals with breast cancer. These studies will help reduce the formation of adverse reactions and increase patient quality of life.
Upcoming Opportunities
The Orbach lab is looking to grow with new graduate and undergraduate students. We have several new projects in development and are open to seeing how your research interests and ideas can fit into our team. We support students who wish to pursue experimental research, computational research, or a combination. Interested students should reach out to Dr. Orbach directly (see Contact).