Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation

“In addition to laboratory and clinical research, I work with a team deeply committed to educating women and communities about breast cancer research. There still remains a lot of confusion surrounding participation in clinical trials, but without them, there won’t be any new treatments. Through grass-roots outreach, we are trying to reach people. Women with breast cancer need to be empowered – to talk confidently with their doctors, to ask for clinical trial information.”
Carola Neumann, MD

Research in Brief

Clinical Research

Dr. Neumann’s research focuses on the role oxidative stress, the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body, plays in breast cancer. Currently, her laboratory is focused on moving a new drug for triple negative breast into pre-clinical trials. Triple negative breast cancer is an extremely aggressive form of the disease, and for the cancer cell to stay alive, it needs to continuously repair its DNA. Dr. Neumann’s lab has identified this DNA repair dependency as an opportunity for targeted treatment. With the drug developed and the drug target established, researchers now have a therapy that only effects cancer cells.

Laboratory Research

In addition, Dr. Neumann’s laboratory investigates the role oxidative stress plays on the tumor microenvironment on cancer-associated fibroblasts. The majority of a breast tumor is made up of fibroblasts, but they can be difficult to target. Researchers in Dr. Neumann’s laboratory are exploring what turns a normal mammary fibroblast cancerous, and what role oxidative stress plays in that process.