BIO

Giorgia Foggetti is a cancer biologist with more than 15 years of experience working with models of cancer. She received her PhD in Oncological Genetics from the University of Genova (Italy), where she studied p53 gain-of-function mutants and small molecules able to induce selective autophagy-mediated degradation of mutant p53 in human cancer cells. In 2016, Giorgia Foggetti moved to the United States and joined the Politi Laboratory at the Yale School of Medicine as a postdoc to generate and apply novel in vivo models of EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma. She leveraged these models to address fundamental questions related to tumor development and progression as well as timely translational questions related to sensitivity and resistance to targeted therapy.

Her postdoctoral work has opened up new avenues for lung cancer research and formed the foundation of her research program supported by an Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (AIRC) Start-Up and a Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) – AstraZeneca Research Grants to investigate the role of tumor suppressor pathways such as the KEAP1 pathway in drug sensitivity and resistance in EGFR-driven lung adenocarcinoma. More broadly, she interrogates whether and how genomic mediators affect lung cancer progression and drug resistance. Giorgia Foggetti and her team strive to gain insights into lung cancer biology and drug sensitivity with the common goal of making a long-lasting impact on the development of better treatments for patients with lung cancer.

Lung Cancer RESEARCH

Brief introduction

Targeted therapies based on oncogenic driver alterations have improved the survival of patients with cancer. However, heterogeneity of drug responses and emergence of resistance remain critical challenges in the field. Thus, there is a critical need to study the biology of these tumors to define better treatment strategies for subgroups of patients who do not benefit from standard therapy. Our Lung CAncer REsearch (Lung CARE) team mainly focuses on understanding the mechanisms that modulate therapeutic response and resistance in EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma.

Research Activity

We are part of the Medical Oncology Department and we successfully connected with the Thoracic Surgery Department and others to launch and lead the Lung Cancer Tissue Collection (LCTC) Institutional Program. This Program allows us to collect and cryopreserve tumor and peritumoral tissue and blood from patients with lung cancer that are enrolled in LCTC (data are available at BBMRI; co-PIs: Dr. Alessandra Bulotta, Medical Oncology Department and Prof. Giulia Veronesi, Thoracic Surgery Department). Indeed, the goal of our research is to generate patient-derived models of cancer to identify subsets of tumors that may need additional interventions. 

We combine unique systems with an innovative mouse model of EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma that enables us to investigate molecular and cellular changes that underlie cancer initiation, progression, and drug response within the tumor microenvironment. By correlating our findings with clinical data, we aim to uncover potential biomarkers of reduced therapeutic sensitivity to develop new strategies. A close interaction with our clinical colleagues creates the potential for our findings to ultimately inform clinical trials towards a personalized medicine for patients with lung cancer.

Click here to view our publications