Associate Member
MSKCC
Dr. Tammela earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Helsinki, Finland, where he worked in the laboratory of Prof. Kari Alitalo, studying molecular mechanisms that control blood and lymphatic vessels growth. Dr. Tammela then moved to MIT for postdoctoral training with Prof. Tyler Jacks. During this time, he became interested in cellular heterogeneity in cancer and identified cancer-derived niches as drivers of stem-like cells in lung cancer . Dr. Tammela joined the Sloan Kettering Institute as an Assistant Member in the Cancer Biology & Genetics Program in 2017. The Tammela Lab studies phenotypic heterogeneity of cancer cells within tumors using genetically engineered mouse models, single cell approaches, tracing and ablation of distinct tumor cell lineages, CRISPR-mediated gene regulation, and advanced imaging techniques. The overarching goal of these efforts is to discover pathways that drive distinct cellular phenotypes and to develop new therapeutic concepts aimed at reducing cellular heterogeneity in tumors. Additional efforts in the Tammela laboratory focus on how aging impacts tumor evolution. Dr. Tammela holds scholarships from the American Cancer Society, the Josie Robertson Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation and the V Foundation. He is a recipient of a Mark Foundation Emerging Leader Award, an NIH-NCI R37 MERIT Award, an AACR Next Generation Transformative Research Award, and the Werner Risau Prize.
