Research Interests:
- Cancer initiation
- Metabolism
- Cell competition
- Pancreatic cancer
- Gastric cancer
Biography
I joined the faculty of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in March 2026 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics. I earned a B.S. in Biology from The Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. My doctoral research, in Dr. Jason Mills' laboratory, demonstrated how tissue injury induces differentiated cells to activate lysosomal pathways and re-enter the cell cycle, resulting in gastric metaplasia. I completed my postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan in the laboratories of Dr. Costas Lyssiotis and Dr. Yatrik Shah. As a postdoc, I identified how NADPH-producing enzymes and redox metabolism are critical for precancer development and progression in the pancreas.
The Radyk lab aims to uncover how metabolic changes control the earliest steps of cancer formation, with the overall goal of identifying effective strategies for cancer prevention and detection. The lab uses primary cell culture, preclinical models, clinically relevant samples, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to determine the mechanisms of precancerous lesion formation in the pancreas and stomach.
Positions
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Assistant Professor of Oncology
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Background
Education and Training
- 2021 - PhD - Molecular Cell Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
- 2014 - BS - Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Fellowship
- 2026 - Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cancer Metabolism, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Professional Memberships
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
- American Physiological Society (APS)
- American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
Honors & Awards
- 2024 - K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award (NIH/NIGMS)
- 2024 - COMPASS Outreach Grant, American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
- 2023 - F32 Kirschstein Postdoctoral NRSA Fellowship (NIH/NCI)
- 2023 - Bishr Omary Physiology Postdoctoral Teaching/Service Award, University of Michigan
Publications
1. Radyk MD, Nelson BS, Ruckert MT, Halbrook CJ, Shan M, Alektiar JM, Lavoie BL, Salvatore L, Yan W, Perricone MD, Buscher K, Wood A, Hong HS, Sajjakulnukit P, Zhang L, Corfas G, Bednar F, Frankel TL, Pasca di Magliano M, Colacino JA, Shah YM, Crawford HC, Lyssiotis CA. (2026). NADPH-producing enzymes restrict the formation of pancreatic precancerous lesions. Nat Metab. 2026 Apr 1. PMID: 41922743.
2. Bonilla ME, Radyk MD, Perricone MD, Elhossiny AM, Harold AC, Medina-Cabrera PI, Kadiyala P, Shi J, Frankel TL, Carpenter ES, Green MD, Mitrea C, Lyssiotis CA, Pasca di Magliano M. (2024). Metabolic landscape of the healthy pancreas and the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. JCI Insight: 9(18):e180114. PMC11457849.
3. Stangis MM, Chen Z, Min J, Glass SE, Jackson JO, Radyk MD, Hoi XP, Brennen WN, Yu M, Dinh HQ, Coffey RJ, Shrubsole MJ, Chan KS, Grady WM, Yegnasubramanian S, Lyssiotis CA, Maitra A, Halberg RB, Dey N, Lau KS. The Hallmarks of Precancer. Cancer Discov. 2024 Apr 4;14(4):683-689. PMC11170686.
4. Radyk MD, Spatz LB, Adkins-Threats ML, Cates K, St Pierre CL. Evaluation of an 8-week high school science communication course designed to read, write, and present scientific research. Adv Physiol Educ. 2023 Dec 1;47(4):910-918. PMC10854798.
5. Radyk MD, Burclaff J, Willet SG, Mills JC. Metaplastic Cells in the Stomach Arise, Independently of Stem Cells, via Dedifferentiation or Transdifferentiation of Chief Cells. Gastroenterology. 2018 Mar;154(4):839-843.e2. PMC5847468.