Epernicus: Joseph Franses, B.Sc.

Joseph Franses, B.Sc.

(M.D., Ph.D. in progress)

Positions:
Graduate Student - Ph.D.

Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

Medical Student

Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)
Advisor:
Elazer R. Edelman
Degrees:

M.D. (in progress), Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

Ph.D. (in progress), Chemical and Medical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA), Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)

B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)

B.Sc., Chemistry, Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
Past Advisors:

David H. Thompson (as Undergraduate Student)
Research:
I am using tissue-engineered endothelial cells as a means to study the heterotypic interactions between cancer cells and endothelial cells.

Many cancers are continuously dependent on heterotypic interactions for their proliferation and metastasis. Angiogenesis has been shown to be crucial for tumor growth beyond a certain (microscopic) size. There are currently two canonical mechanisms for cancers' angiogenesis dependence: (1) angiogenesis as a perfusion source for tumors (Folkman et al), and (2) angiogenesis as a means of elevating intratumoral pressure and thereby facilitating metastasis and impeding physiologic humoral control of tumors (Jain et al). I am investigating the hypothesis that, in addition to the above two mechanisms, angiogenesis is also important because it delivers a source of potent regulatory cells, endothelial cells, to tumors. I am using tissue-engineered endothelial implants, which our lab has shown to be powerful regulatory constructs, to decouple the paracrine regulatory capabilities of endothelial cells from their vascular/perfusing functions.
Other Experience:
2003 Summer Intern, Dow Chemical Chemistry and Catalysis R&D
Honors:
2005-present NIH MSTP fellowship