Prof. Uri Ben-David

Prof. Ben-David’s lab studies cancer genetics, and has specific interest in the following:

1. A major focus is on an under-studied trait of cancer, called aneuploidy - the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in cancer cells - and the potential of using his trait to target cancer cells and eliminate tumors. We combine experimental and computational approaches to uncover the basic biology underlying this hallmark of cancer, to track its origins and to uncover its cellular consequences. By doing so, we strive to expand our understanding of the genetic basis of cancer, and to make aneuploidy a therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
    
2. The study of the complex genetics of human cancer depends on cancer model systems. These models reflect the biology of actual human tumors only to a certain extent, and evolve in ways that pose both risks and opportunities for cancer research. The lab studies the genomic stability and evolution of cancer model systems, in order to optimize their application in biomedical research, with an emphasis on aneuploidy research.