Dan Theodorescu MD PhD

University of Virginia

Professor of Urology

Professor of Molecular Physiology

Last update:

We have 3 major research projects in the laboratory.

1. Understanding the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the growth and progression of prostate cancer metastasis to bone.

2. Understanding the molecular mechanisms which lead to the transition of superficial (non-muscle invasive) bladder cancer to the invasive form of the disease. Specifically, we are studying the role of the small GTPase Ral in mediating tumor cell motility, a necessary step leading to tumor invasion.

3. Development and validation of a novel bioinformatic assay aimed at the discovery of new anticancer agents that are effective in human cancers. We are working on evaluating some of the “hits” found in this assay for their effectiveness in bladder and prostate cancer.