Exploring the crossroads of genetics and imaging, this postdoc investigates how cellular disarray leads to malignancy.
Q | Write a brief introduction to yourself including the lab you work in and your research background.
My name is Umar Sheikh and I am a cancer biologist in the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. My research spans cancer genomics, UVB photobiology, and the role of planar cell polarity loss in melanoma. I also investigate MmuPV1–estrogen interactions in cervical cancer using molecular and computational -omics approaches.
Q | How did you first get interested in science and/or your field of research?
My interest in science began with a deep curiosity about how living systems work at the molecular level. During my early academic years, I was fascinated by how small genetic or environmental changes can drastically influence health and disease. This curiosity led me to pursue a PhD in UVB photobiology, where I explored how ultraviolet radiation affects skin cells and contributes to cancer initiation. Over time, my focus broadened to cancer genomics and molecular oncology, driven by a desire to uncover mechanisms that underlie cancer development and progression. In my current work, I investigate the role of planar cell polarity loss in melanoma metastasis, as well as how MmuPV1–estrogen interactions influence cervical cancer in mouse models. These projects combine molecular biology, computational omics, and immunoprofiling approaches, offering the exciting challenge of integrating diverse datasets to answer complex biological questions. For me, science is not just about experiments, it’s about solving puzzles that have real-world implications for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy.
Q | Tell us about your favorite research project you’re working on.
One of my favorite research projects focuses on understanding how the loss of planar cell polarity (PCP) contributes to melanoma development and metastasis. PCP is a fundamental cellular mechanism that helps maintain tissue organization, and its disruption is increasingly linked to cancer progression. In this project, I combine molecular biology, advanced imaging, and computational genomics to investigate how PCP loss alters cell signaling, migration, and tumor microenvironment interactions. What excites me most is the project’s translational potential uncovering these mechanisms could lead to novel biomarkers for early detection and targets for therapy in aggressive melanoma. The work challenges me to integrate wet-lab experiments with -omics data analysis, fostering a truly interdisciplinary approach. Every result, whether confirming or challenging our hypotheses, brings new insights into the complex interplay between genetic alterations and cancer behavior. This project not only deepens my understanding of tumor biology but also fuels my long-term goal of developing strategies that can improve patient outcomes.
Q | What do you find most exciting about your research project?
The most exciting part of my scientific career so far has been the opportunity to work across diverse but interconnected fields, UVB photobiology, cancer genomics, and viral oncology and see how discoveries in one area can inform another. Early in my career, uncovering how UVB radiation damages skin cells and triggers cancer pathways was a thrilling moment that showed me the power of mechanistic research. Later, moving into cancer genomics opened a new world of big data, where I could integrate molecular insights with computational approaches to reveal patterns invisible to traditional methods. My current work on planar cell polarity loss in melanoma and MmuPV1–estrogen interactions in cervical cancer is particularly rewarding because it bridges molecular biology, immunology, and bioinformatics. The excitement lies not just in generating new data, but in connecting the dots by seeing how a single pathway perturbation can ripple through complex biological systems. Each experiment and analysis carries the possibility of contributing to strategies that improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, or treatment, which is the ultimate motivation for my work.
Q | If you could be a laboratory instrument, which one would you be and why?
If I could be a laboratory instrument, I would be a confocal microscope. It’s precise, versatile, and reveals hidden details that can completely change how you see a biological system’s qualities. I value my own approach to science. Like a confocal microscope, I enjoy focusing deeply on a small area to uncover clarity that might otherwise be blurred by noise. I also thrive on exploring multiple layers of information, much like how a microscope captures different focal planes to build a complete image. Confocal microscopy requires patience and careful calibration, but the payoff is a crisp, meaningful view of something previously invisible. I think science—and life—benefits from that same mindset: take the time to adjust your focus, look beneath the surface, and connect the pieces into a bigger picture. Plus, confocal microscopes are a bit glamorous in the lab world. They draw people in, spark curiosity, and have the power to make even the tiniest cells look spectacular. I’d like to think I do the same with my research stories.
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