Faye Johnson Laboratory

The Faye Johnson laboratory integrates laboratory and clinical work to define the biological and molecular effects of the modulation of signal transduction pathways in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We have identified novel mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to kinase inhibitors including PLK1, Src, and PI3K pathway inhibitors. We have demonstrated the ability to translate laboratory work to the clinic with several clinical trials of c-Src inhibitors. The Johnson lab conducted the largest drug screen to date in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cancers and identified Aurora kinase inhibitors as effective drugs in these cancers. Additionally, the laboratory discovered that NOTCH1-mutant HNSCC cell lines are sensitive to PI3K inhibitors. This is the first study to establish a therapeutic vulnerability of NOTCH1-mutant HNSCC to any class of drugs and may inform the development of the first biomarker-driven therapy for HNSCC.