Biography
Pedro R. Lowenstein, MD, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. He graduated as MD (Cum Laude) and PhD (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Buenos Aires, School of Medicine, Argentina. He did postdoctoral work with Dr. J.T. Coyle at Johns Hopkins Hospital and with Dr. P. Somogyi at Oxford University.
Research Interests
The focus of my research program is to discover the cellular, molecular, and neuroanatomical basis underlying the growth patterns of malignant brain tumors, and the interactions between cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment, in both experimental models and in human patients suffering from malignant brain tumors. To do so, we are probing how brain glioma cells migrate throughout the brain and eventually kill the hosts’ neurons and glial cells. Understanding the precise molecular basis of glioma tumor cell growth and invasive behavior will uncover novel therapeutic targets aiming at inactivating the essential mechanisms used by tumors to grow and destroy normal brain tissue and, thus, kill the host. We are studying very early stages of tumor pattern formation using fluorescently labeled glioma cells in combination with advanced in vivo multiphoton imaging technologies. The new information will lead to the development of novel therapeutics for malignant glioma. We have focused on understanding the mechanisms by which the common glioma matrix protein Collagen I modulates tumor and immune function. My lab is also investigating how the interactions of collagen with the specific collagen receptor LAIR-1 modulate glioma malignant behavior, and the complex interactions of the ECM with infiltrating immune cells.
Research Opportunities for Rotating Student
- Neuroimmunology of Malignant Brain Tumors: Innate Mechanisms
- Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Glioma Progression: Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets
Other Info
Office Location
- MSRB 2 Room 4570
Lab Location
- MSRB 2 Room 4576
Administrative Assistant
- Melissa Lay
- Phone: 734-764-7052
- Email: [email protected]