Department Researcher: Silvia Mabel Goicoechea
Research Associate Professor
BO 3090
419.530.1991
Educational Background
B.S., Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina
PhD, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina
Postdoc, UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Research Interests:
My research interests are focus on the remodeling of the cytoskeleton during the process
of cell migration. Aberrant regulation of cell migration drives progression of many
diseases, including cancer invasion and metastasis. In particular, my research is
focus on the remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) that allows cancer cells to
alter their microenvironment to clear space and create tracks along which cells can
migrate more efficiently. To do that cells form actin-based subcellular structures
termed invadopodiaor podosomes that are well-characterized as a specialized machinery
for ECM degradation. Therefore, the fundamental mechanisms of cell migration and invasion
are critical for our understanding of both basic biology and the pathology of disease.