Stem Cells and Cancer, In Vivo Discoveries

Our conversation with Tannishtha Reya, PhD, reviews her work and publications on understanding the mechanisms that drive cancer initiation, progression, and therapy resistance. Her research also includes developing high resolution in vivo imaging approaches to map normal stem cell behavior and interactions within a living organism, to define how these change during cancer formation. Tannishtha is the associate director for Translational Research and director of the Irving Drug Discovery Program at Columbia's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is also a former professor with the UC San Diego School of Medicine. An expert in how stem cells fuel cancer growth, she is known for co-authoring a publication in Nature in 2001 that coined the term 'cancer stem cell' to describe how some cancer cells can mirror the properties of stem cells in normal tissues. Reya's laboratory has uncovered critical pathways and therapeutic targets in leukemia and pancreatic cancer, contributing to clinical trials and approvals for new therapies. She has been recognized for her contributions to the field with many prestigious awards, including an NIH Director's Pioneer Award and an NCI Outstanding Investigator Award. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 16, 2025, and information is current as of the time of this recording.