Amit Lab Animation
Amit Laboratory
Moran Amit, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Areas of Research
- Neural Regulation of Cancer
- Tumor Microenvironment
- Head and Neck Cancer
The Amit Laboratory is a neuroscience and cancer biology research lab. Our goal is to advance the current understanding of the nervous system’s contribution to cancer. We have established experimental models in neuroscience research to uncover novel mechanisms used by the nervous system to promote tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. We apply these tools to study complex biological processes that occur in human cancers including transformation, invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance evolution.
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Meet the Principal Investigator
Moran Amit, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Amit's aim is to inform key areas of cancer research, including the prevention and treatment of solid tumors. His research focuses on mechanisms used by the nervous system to promote tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis.
Dr. Amit holds a clinical background as a head and neck surgeon trained in the department of Head and Neck Surgery, and he obtained a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology at the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.
He was recruited by the Department of Head and Neck Surgery to establish a Neural Regulation of Cancer section in a research program dedicated to studying the tumor microenvironment. He has developed novel modeling systems of the neural niche in the tumor microenvironment both in vitro and in vivo using syngeneic mouse models and imaging systems. He also has significant prior publications defining the role of immune cells in cancer dissemination along nerves.
Dr. Amit's long-term goal is to unveil the microenvironment-driven mechanisms that support tumor growth and to develop measures to target these pathways.
Research Focus
Our research focus is split evenly between experimental cancer cell biology and studying tumor microenvironment subpopulations using computational biology approaches. We develop new experimental methods to isolate and sequence neural niche subpopulations and apply analytical approaches to study how solid tumors sculpt their microenvironment. We focus mainly on head and neck cancer to understand the role of the peripheral nervous system in the evolution of invasion, metastasis, and response to chemotherapy. Our goal is to understand the role of neural signaling in tumor evolution so that we can exploit these signals for therapeutic vulnerabilities and enhance cancer therapy. We fully expect that applying these tools to patients will ultimately inform key areas of cancer research including the prevention and treatment of head and neck cancer.
Amit Lab News
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OncoDaily
Moran Amit: Unlocking New Immunotherapy Potential for Immunosuppressed Individuals
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Targeted Oncology
Exploring Psilocybin-Assist Patients’ Trauma
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CureToday
Clinical Trial Tests Psilocybin Therapy for Cancer-Related Mental Health
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Home of the Audio Journal of Oncology – Audio Medica
AACR 2026: Oral Intralesional PD 1 Blockade Promises Less Risk of Progression to Oral Cancer than Surgery, with Preserved Quality of Life
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OncologyTube
Could Intralesional Nivolumab Finally End the Era of Disfiguring Oral Surgeries?
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MedPage Today
Injecting PD-1 Drug Directly Into Oral Precancers Shrinks Lesions
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Cancer Health
Novel Approach Prevents Cancer Progression, Spares Surgery for Patients With Precancerous Oral Lesions
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American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Intercepting Oral Cancer, Sparing Surgery, Preserving Quality of Life
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Bioengineer.org
Intralesional Nivolumab Shows Promise in Treating Precancerous Oral Lesions
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Oncodaily
Moran Amit: Top 3 Abstract at UT MD Anderson and Targeted Immunotherapy Injection
Life in the Lab
