Sana Karam is an Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology at the Unviersity of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. She obtained her MD degree and residency training in radiation oncology from Georgetown University, Washington DC. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from the American University of Beirut, a master’s degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and a Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Dr. Karam’s laboratory is focused on understanding how the immune microenvironment influences cancer cell growth and resistance to therapy. We use various preclinical animal models including head and neck and pancreatic cancer. Another major focus of Dr. Karam’s lab is studying the effects of radiation on the immune system in pre-clinical tumor models. The Karam lab examines how radiation, a common treatment modality in many cancers, interacts with immunotherapy to synergize or antagonize the immune response. We use a wide variety of both in-vivo and in-vitro assays to understand functional and molecular mechanisms behind tumor response. Understanding key concepts such as apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasion, proliferation, and immune modulation hold great promise for designing strategies to effectively target cancer. We employ cutting edge technology in our research with a state-of-the art image-guided irradiator with on-board CT and BLI imaging as well as CyTOF and intravital imaging. We have successfully translated our scientific discoveries into clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes for patients with these aggressive malignancies.
