Crislyn D'Souza-Schorey

Walther Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

Office: 145 Galvin Life Science
Phone: 574-631-3735
Email: D’Souza-Schorey.1@nd.edu

Areas of Expertise

Cancer, cell migration

D’Souza-Schorey researches how tumor cells invade their surrounding environment and has studied the behavior of melanoma and breast cancer cell lines. She discovered that sustained activation of the cell-signaling protein ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) facilitates the formation of invasion-promoting structures at the adherent surface of cells, thereby significantly enhancing the invasive capacity of melanoma and breast cancer lines. Conversely, her research suggests that blocking the functioning of ARF6 reduces the cell invasive capacity of tumor cells abd proposes that ARF6 is an important regulator of cell invasion. D’Souza-Schorey’s previous research has shown that ARF6 also plays an important role in the events that lead cancer cells to detach so they can migrate to other parts of the body. Newer studies document a link between this ARF6-mediated cell signaling and other signaling pathways that regulate the process of tumor cell invasion. To date, D’Sousza-Schorey has studied the role of ARF6 through in vitro cell biological and biochemical assays. Her research also focuses on melanoma mouse models, which will offer greater insights into how the cell-signaling protein functions in humans.