We study the signaling pathways that drive breast cancer growth and shape response to targeted therapy

Research areas

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New predictors of sensitivity to kinase inhibitors in breast cancer

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Real-time monitoring of tumors in breast cancer patients

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Solving the PI3K mutational code to tailor PI3K inhibition in breast cancer

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Discovering and overcoming resistance to targeted therapies

Join Us

We are looking for highly motivated graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and clinical collaborators to lead multidisciplinary studies in the areas of cancer cell signaling.

Featured Publications

A Hotspot Phosphorylation Site on SHP2 Drives Oncoprotein Activation and Drug Resistance

Quick read

SHP2 is a key regulator of RTK-driven RAS/MAPK signaling, but SHP2 inhibitors have shown limited clinical benefit and the causes of primary resistance have remained unclear. This study identifies phosphorylation of SHP2 at Y62 as a recurrent resistance mechanism that locks SHP2 in an active state, drives MAPK signaling, and reveals a drug target distinct from wild-type SHP2.

Retrospective comparison between breast cancer tissue- and blood-based next-generation sequencing results in detection of PIK3CA, AKT1, and PTEN alterations

Quick read

Blood-based NGS reliably detected clinically relevant PIK3CA, AKT1, and PTEN short variants in breast cancer when ctDNA tumor fraction was ≥1%, showing strong agreement with tissue-based sequencing. At very low tumor fractions and for copy-number alterations, sensitivity declined substantially, supporting tissue-based testing when liquid biopsy results are negative or inconclusive.

Clinicogenomic landscape and function of PIK3CA, AKT1, and PTEN mutations in breast cancer

Quick read

Profiling more than 51,000 breast tumors revealed distinct patterns of PIK3CA, AKT1, and PTEN alterations, including differences in mutation frequency, co-occurring genomic changes, and patient ancestry. Functional characterization of rare variants further expanded the spectrum of potentially meaningful alterations within the AKT pathway beyond the mutations that are already well established.

Latest News

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    Vasan Lab’s Hanna Karvonen granted the Susan G. Komen Career Transition Award July 17, 2026

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    Advancing Oncology Care Through Gilead’s Research Scholars Program May 20, 2025

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    The Vasan Lab Joins the NYU Langone Family! May 1, 2025

    On May 1, the Vasan Lab officially joined the NYU Langone community. We are excited to begin this next chapter at NYU Langone, where we look forward to continuing our work in breast cancer functional genomics, building new collaborations, and contributing to a vibrant and supportive research environment.