People

My research focuses on lung cancer driven by mutations in EGFR. Specifically, I am investigating the resistance mechanisms to tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKI) and immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICI) in this type of cancer and finding a way to overcome these resistance mechanisms for better treatment outcomes. I am working with a novel mouse model that has been designed to express several EGFR mutations that are resistant to TKIs and ICIs as well as expressing several reporter genes.

My primary focus in the lab is on our clinical studies, processing patient samples, and performing a variety of assays. I also handle lab ordering, stocking, and overall daily maintenance. My interests lie in learning and perfecting techniques that produce consitant, usable data. I have been working in this lab since 2005 and at Duke since January 2000, coming here after receiving my Masters from UF.

I am a senior at Duke University and am currently applying to graduate programs with an interest in immunology/pathology. I have been working in the Hartman lab since 2021 under the guidance of Postdoctoral scholar Timothy Trotter. I have been researching dormant cancer cells and what mechanisms they use to avoid the adaptive immune system. We recently identified Wnt signaling inhibitor DKK3 as a candidate capable of regulating Tregs in the microenvironment. I am now evaluating the ability of Sox9 to regulate the hybrid E/M phenotype that dormant cells tend to show.

I am a Research Technician 2 within the lab. I started with Duke as an animal technician for DLAR in 2020. In that position I got to work closely with the Hartman lab, as well as their animals on a daily basis. Now as a member of the lab, I use the knowledge I’ve gained to assist in their studies directly. I mostly perform various surgeries, injections, and dissections on mice to collect data for research as well as breed them to make solid models for various types of cancer. To further broaden my horizons, I have also taken up performing various assays and cell culture work, something I hope to expand on even more in the future with this lab.

In collaboration with graduate student RD Marek, I am investigating androgen receptor and androgen receptor splice variants (AR-Vs) as potential immunological targets for castration-resistant prostate cancer. I previously generated murine prostate cancer cell lines that express murine homologs of AR-Vs to develop an immunocompetent, tolerized model of prostate cancer. I am now evaluating the ability of novel mRNA and srRNA vaccine candidates to induce a T cell mediated anti-tumor immune response against neoepitopes from AR-Vs.

My PhD research was focused on the association between skin inflammation and melanoma. I am currently focusing on the cancer vaccine/immunotherapy.

My research focuses on the investigation of the immunity in the hepatic microenvrionment in pancreatic cancer liver metastases. Specifically, how the tumor cell-intrinsic factors crosstalk with the hepatic tumor microenvironment to suppress the anti-tumor immune response in the liver

I have been working at Duke for 25 years and have been in this lab for about eight years. My current role in the lab is evaluating: vaccines, antibodies, drugs, and antibody-drug conjugates on various murine cancer models with or without human genes either in vivo, to observe prevention or treatment efficiency; or in vitro to obtain valuable information for designing experiments. My interests lie in determining which laboratory experiments are good to continue on to clinical trials.
In addition to, I also plan, manage and evaluate various mouse colonies for whole team across various experiments.

I am interested in understanding how innate immune checkpoints regulate immune responses against cancer. I am also investigating the combination of immune checkpoint inhibition with chemotherapy, antibodies and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) to improve existing cancer treatment.

Having just graduated from Duke University with a BS in Biology and a concentration in pharmacology, I am utilizing my time as a technician in the Hartman lab to further my knowledge and experience in biomedical research. In the lab, I specialize in histology techniques such as tissue processing, sectioning, and immunohistochemistry, but I am broadly interested in utilizing the immune system to develop novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. I intend to pursue a PhD in biomedical science.

I am currently evaluating the efficacy of PD-L1 overexpression in genetically engineered breast cancer cells as a strategy to impede T-cell infiltration into immunogenic cancers and directly inhibit T-cell function. This will serve as a model to evaluate the utility of the broader focus of the research project I am a part of, which is to investigate the potential therapeutic role of PD-L1 as an immunosuppressive agent in preventing immune rejection after heart transplantation.

I am currently investigating innate immune checkpoints in metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). I am interested in how blockade of these innate immune checkpoints in combination with clinical treatments for cancer can decrease the growth of tumors. More broadly, I aim to further existing knowledge in how innate immune checkpoint blockade can enhance adaptive and innate immune responses to cancer.

My research interests are still developing, especially as my clinical interests continue to evolve, but I do know that I love immunology. My work in the Hartman/Lyerly Lab will focus on the role of B-cells in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, seeking to elucidate the mechanisms by which antibody production affects the the innate immune response to tumor progression.

Hi! I’m Amanda, a Laboratory Research Analyst I in the Lyerly/Hartman Lab. I began working in this lab in 2002 as a Research Technician I after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill. I began as a member of the cell processing group. We managed the development and testing of cell based vaccines for our immunotherapy clinical trials. I am interested in the research and development of adjuvant therapies for the treatment of both breast and colon cancers.

The overarching goal of my research is to characterize fundamental mechanisms of tolerance by which tumor cells evade adaptive immunity during metastasis and the latent phase before recurrence. I am particularly interested in how normal processes wherein immune tolerance is critical, such as wound healing and embryo implantation, are co-opted by tumor cells throughout the metastatic cascade for long-term survival. In addition, I recently identified DKK3 as a dormant tumor-derived factor that promotes regulatory T cells in the microenvironment and I am currently working to define precise pathways that mediate this function.

Passionate about advancing cancer treatments, my research interest is dedicated to mechanisms of action and resistance of novel groundbreaking antibody-mediated therapies, including antibody-drug-conjugates and immune checkpoint blockades.

I’m interested in developing advanced cancer therapies by targeting immune responses, including exploring antibody mechanisms, bi-specific antibodies, and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) to improve treatment efficacy. Additionally, I aim to optimize cancer vaccine strategies, incorporating insights from RNA vaccine research and novel vaccine designs to enhance immune system engagement.

I am interested in understanding how Trop2 post-translational modifications lead to oncogenesis, along with how this affects therapeutic targeting in triple negative breast cancer. I am also researching the immunosuppressive role of progesterone receptor (PR) in hormone receptor positive breast cancer and understanding best targeting therapeutic strategies of PR to decrease and eliminate tumor burden.