Dr. Westbrook received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester School of Medicine for his work on the role of DNA viruses in cancer. He continued his passion for cancer research and genetics during postdoctoral training with Stephen Elledge, Ph.D., at Harvard Medical School. During this time, Dr. Westbrook developed new technologies for genetic screens in mammalian systems that have become widely used in the scientific community to solve problems of human disease.
In 2007, Dr. Westbrook joined the faculty at Baylor, where his research team continues to develop new genetic technologies. Dr. Westbrook’s team has pioneered the use of these genetic tools to discover the genes controlling breast cancer growth and response to treatment. In particular, the Westbrook team focuses on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), identifying unexpected gene circuits that contribute to TNBC. With creative genetic approaches, his team explores how these cancer genes create unique vulnerabilities in cancer cells and unveil new therapeutic opportunities. With partners in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Westbrook and his colleagues have translated these vulnerabilities into new therapies for breast cancer patients.
The Science: Led by Trey Westbrook, Kristen Karlin and Calla Olson, Marlinspike is developing small molecule inhibitors against a new class of oncology and IO drug targets in RNA splicing.
