The Jacks Lab is interested in the genetic events contributing to the development of cancer. The focus of our research has been a series of mouse strains engineered to carry mutations in genes known to be involved in human cancer. more >>

Tyler Jacks - 2015 MIT’s James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award - our fearless leader, cancer biologist and Koch Institute director, is recognized with MIT faculty’s top honor. See the News & Events page for more information.
Tyler Jacks - 2020 AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship. https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/tyler-jacks-phd-honored-with-2020-aacr-princess-takamatsu-memorial-lectureship/
In 2018 the Jacks Lab became a Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory at MIT. Pictured are Lustgarten Foundation Chief Scientist Dr. David Tuveson, Dr. Tyler Jacks and Lustgarten Foundation President/CEO Kerri Kaplan.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Learn more about the pancreatic research that is on-going in the Jacks Lab in the News & Events section.
Our understanding of the role of the tumor microenvironment in the development and progression of lung cancer remains rudimentary. The Jacks Lab wants to determine whether the stroma contributes to tumor progression, as insights into the interactions between tumor and stromal cells may provide new opportunities for more focused therapeutic strategies. Immunofluorescent image using two different stromal-specific antibodies (in red and green) and a nuclear stain (in blue).
Tumors require large amounts of oxygen and nutrients to fuel their rapid growth. How do they acquire these resources? Here, a lung tumor (green) extends to the right, infiltrating healthy lung tissue, rich in nutrient-carrying blood vessels (red). The Jacks Lab is interested in understanding the nature of the communication between cancer cells and blood vessels.
Modeling the Growth of a Tumor. Although it is known that certain gene mutations trigger tumor formation, the subsequent cellular events driving cancer progression are not well understood. Cell-specific fluorescence allow us to track cells over the course of cancer development. Image shows mutated (green) and non-mutated (red and yellow) cells in a pancreas.
Life Lessons from 34 Years of Fighting Cancer - inspirational talk from our own fearless leader Tyler Jacks at TEDxCambridge. <a href="http://www.tedxcambridge.com/portfolio-item/tyler-jacks/" style="color: #6699FF">Watch video</a>

Tyler Jacks is a Daniel K. Ludwig Scholar and David H. Koch Professor of Biology at MIT. Our studies are supported by a mixture of various sources including the National Institutes of Health, Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, Lustgarten Foundation, J&J and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

 

Value Statement

The Jacks Lab values diversity and inclusion and encourages highly talented and motivated individuals of all ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations and disabilities to join us in pushing the boundaries in what we can achieve in cancer research. In partnership with the MIT community, we want to create and maintain a supportive lab environment to enable both the physical and mental well-being of all lab members and to allow everyone to reach their full potential.