Dr.
Cahill’s laboratory-based research effort aims to identify the molecular
genetic alterations that underlie the development, progression and treatment
resistance of brain tumors. By understanding the mechanism by which tumor
genome alterations drive the growth of these cancers, therapeutic strategies
can be designed to improve outcomes for these patients.
His research effort has contributed key observations regarding the molecular
mechanisms of chemoresistance in human glioblastomas, where combined radiation
and alkylating chemotherapy temozolomide are the standard-of-care. In close
collaboration with Dr. Hiro Wakimoto in the Translational Neuro-Oncology
Laboratory of the MGH Brain Tumor Research Center, his more recent work has
focused on the subgroup of gliomas characterized by IDH mutation and on
targeted therapeutics for brain tumors. To facilitate precision medicine
approaches for diverse CNS tumors, Dr. Cahill has participated in a
broadly collaborative effort with Drs. Priscilla Brastianos and Fred Barker to
characterize the molecular genetic alterations within multiple tumor types
(craniopharyngioma, hemangioblastoma, spinal cord tumors, brain metastases,
meningiomas, and others).
This research work has a track record of successful competitive peer-reviewed
funding from the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation, the Brain
Tumor Society, the National Brain Tumor Foundation, the James S. McDonnell
Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award in the Medical Sciences, the
Dana Farber Harvard Cancer Center/MIT Koch Institute Bridge Program, and the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of
Health.