Heather Schofield, MD, PhD

Research Project:
Defining the Role of Cancer Cell Plasticity and WNT Pathway Activation during Lung Adenocarcinoma Metastasis

Grant Awarded:

Catalyst Award

Research Topic:

mechanisms of metastasis

Research Disease:

lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths; lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type. When caught early, it can often be treated with surgery or radiation. Once it spreads to other parts of the body; however, survival drops sharply and treatment becomes much more difficult. To improve future therapies, we need to better understand what allows these cancer cells to spread. In this project, we will study tissue collected during bronchoscopy, where we can sample both primary tumors and those that have spread (metastatic) from the same patient. By comparing these samples directly, we aim to identify the key pathways that drive cancer spread. This knowledge may lead to new, more effective treatments for this devastating disease.

Page last updated: September 22, 2026

Heather Schofield, MD, PhD

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