The focus of our lab is discovering how cancer cells metastasize or spread throughout the body. We have a particular interest in cancer cells spreading to bone. Most of our work studies how cancer cells exit the primary tumor and enter the bloodstream, how the cells survive in the blood, and why they spread to bone instead of other tissues. We also use patient blood samples to find tumor cells and other markers that can identify patients likely to have aggressive cancer which will spread. Our goal is to find ways to improve cancer treatment by identifying patients with aggressive, high-risk cancer so they can be treated and to provide peace of mind to patients with indolent or low-risk cancer that may not require treatment. Also by studying how cancer cells metastasize, we can design new treatments to prevent the spread of cancer in high-risk patients.