Gordon Lu

Education:

2002-current: Student in Ph.D. (Biology) program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1998-2002: B.A. (Molecular and Cell Biology), Univ. of California, Berkeley

Primary Collaborators:

Paul Jasper, Sorger Lab
Matthew Lazzara, Lauffenburger Lab
Keara Lane, Jacks Lab
Birgit Schoeberl, Merrimack Pharmaceutical

Research Focus:

I am investigating the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling network, in the context of EGFR mutations that correlate with lung tumor sensitivity to small molecule drugs such as Iressa. With my collaborators, I am using these EGFR mutations in combination with various other cues to probe the EGFR network, and measuring the subsequent signal transduction and cellular response using high throughput proteomic assays. We are generating a quantitative data set that can be implemented into an existing ordinary differential equation model of EGFR signaling. By using the predictions of this validated numerical model to direct further experiments, we hope to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying cell sensitivity and resistance, and use this knowledge to further our understanding of the EGFR network.