Therapeutic Sciences Graduate Program

I am currently investigating the effects of drugs on chemosensitivity and blood brain barrier permeability for treatment of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma(DIPG). DIPG is a highly invasive pediatric brain tumor that affects children with a median age of 6-7 years old. There are currently no therapies that target invasion and a major obstacle for treatment is the blood brain barrier(BBB) which prevents the delivery of effective concentrations of drug into the brain. In the Lawler lab, we are working to provide a potential new therapeutic approach for the treatment of DIPG blocking invasion and enhancing drug delivery across the BBB.