Ellen Filvaroff Senior Scientist: Molecular Oncology Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers | Awards & Honors

"I joined Genentech November 1997 after finishing my postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). I chose to come to Genentech because of its high-quality research, dynamic and talented people, and emphasis on collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects. In addition, Genentech is one of the only places where the intellectual environment of academia is successfully blended with the drug development possibilities of a company.

"Very soon after I joined the company, I experienced first-hand the freedom available to researchers at Genentech. In addition to working on the project for which I was hired (studies of muscle metabolism), I was able to set up a broad-based program to study the process of joint degeneration which occurs in osteoarthritic individuals."

Current Projects "My group is involved in several projects. First, we are investigating mechanisms by which the receptor tyrosine kinase Met is involved in tumor cell biology with a particular interest in cross talk with other pathways. Second, we are studying molecules and pathways involved in epithelial to mesenchymal transition in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Finally, we are developing and characterizing genetic mouse models to determine how tumors respond, and then become resistant, to inhibitors of angiogenesis."

Collaborations "Our group is part of a larger Genentech effort to understand the role of novel molecules in tumor cell interactions with the micro-environment and in the multi-step process of metastasis."

Inspiration/Vision "I feel fortunate to have the time and intellectual environment to test creative hypotheses. Talented colleagues inspire me to take innovative approaches to the development of biological therapeutics. As part of the Molecular Oncology Department, I hope that our efforts to understand mechanisms underlying cancer progression lead to unique treatment options along with novel ways to identify patients most likely to respond."