Research
Studying Evolution at Cellular Resolution
Welcome to the Gawad lab! We work at the interface of biotechnology, computational biology, cellular biology, and clinical medicine. We take pride in our ability to think creatively to devise innovative solutions to challenging biological questions. We are focused on studying how the genomes of individual cells evolve when placed under selection pressure, and aim to understand how that genetic diversity contributes to human health and disease.
Cancer Cloncal Evolution and Treatment Resistance
Cancer genome sequencing studies have shown clonal heterogeneity is the major cause of treatment resistance that ultimately causes cancer to recur. We are now studying the process of clonal evolution while patients are undergoing cancer treatment using single-cell sequencing methods we have developed in the lab. We aim to identify which cancer clonotypes are associated with resistance to specific drugs so we can better understand and predict treatment response.
The Evolution and Virulence of Human Pathogens
Infectious diseases continue to be one of the major causes of early mortality worldwide. We are using single-cell sequencing methods we have developed to understand how more virulent pathogens emerge from a population of bacteria or viruses. We are also using these methods to more deeply understand how antibiotic resistance develops.
Development of Novel Genomics Tools
Although we have made tremendous progress in our ability to interrogate genomes in the past twenty years, we can still do better. We are continuously thinking about ways to improve how we measure genomic variation within a cell. We are also developing novel computational methods for modeling the evolution of populations of cells using single-cell sequencing data.
Publications
A selection of recent publications and preprints
Resources
Developing Cerebellum
Cell Seek
Useful Links
Our Team
Lab Mascots
Ripley
Tesla
Momo
Lab Alumni
Name
Former Position
Date
Current Position
Current Location
Contact
Join the Lab
Our lab is located in the new, state-of-the-art Biomedical Innovations Building at Stanford University
New applicants to the lab are welcome!
Prospective collaborative partners should email our PI using the email below. We are always excited for opportunities for intellectual collaboration.
Prospective postdoctoral applicants should email their CV, a paragraph explaining your research interest, and a paragraph explaining why you are interesting in our lab to our PI using the email below.
Prospective graduate students should apply to the Stanford Biomedical Ph.D. programs at med.stanford.edu/education/phd-programs
Location and Email
Charles Gawad, M.D. Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Stanford Medicine
Department of Pediatrics
240 Pasteur Dr
RM2200 - BMI Building
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Email: cgawad@stanford.edu
Funding
