Lucas A Salas, MD, MPH, PhD
Title(s)
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Additional Titles/Positions/Affiliations
Investigator Cancer Population Sciences Research Program, Dartmouth Cancer Center
Department(s)
Epidemiology
Education
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, PhD 2015
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, MPH 2011
Universidad de Antioquia, Epidemiology 2007
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, MD 2001
Programs
Quantitative Biomedical Sciences
Other
NIH Biosketch
Salas_L_BIO_2026-03-29.pdf
Websites
https:
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Contact Information
Email: Lucas.A.Salas@Dartmouth.edu
Professional Interests
The broad goal of Dr. Salas research is to investigate how cell heterogeneity impacts human health and disease, with an emphasis on how genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors model the human epigenome and therefore the cell plasticity. Dr. Salas’ laboratory studies how some key epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, DNA hydroxymethylation, and miRNA alterations) affect gene expression and cancer outcomes, including how the immune cells are altered in this disease. Other research interests include biomarker development, chronic inflammation, and human disease, and how exposures during fetal life alter newborn and childhood outcomes.
Grant Information
W81XWH-20-1-0778, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs/Department of Defense
Salas Diaz, Lucas A (PI) 09/01/20-08/31/24
Epigenetic modifications of cytosines in clear cell kidney carcinogenesis and survival
P20 GM104416-09/8299, National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Salas Diaz, Lucas A (PI) 10/01/20-01/01/23
A single-cell approach to disentangle tumor microenvironments in short and long survivors to clear cell renal carcinoma
Courses Taught
QBS.132
CANB.103
MDED.118
QBS.271
PEMM.212
Mentoring Information
Current trainees:
Chinaza Nnam, MCB
Minghui Zhang, QBS
Mary (Yiping) Li, QBS
Hannah Stolrrow, QBS
Erick Mmboya, QBS
Former trainees:
Dr. Ze Zhang, PhD, (QBS)
Dr. Steven C. Pike, PhD (IND)
Dr. Prasoona Karra, PhD (postdoctoral fellow)
Dr. Michael Mariani, PhD (postdoctoral fellow)
Metastasis-associated DNA methylation alterations persist after accounting for immune and stromal cell heterogeneity in primary colorectal tumors. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is associated with altered immune composition and cytotoxic function in triple-negative breast cancer. DNA methylation-based immune cell profiling in mouse blood using MouseRS-CMD. Endothelial cell-specific DNA methylation alterations in breast cancer. Retroelement Hypomethylation Links Hypoxia Signaling, Immune Phenotypes, and Survival in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Transcriptomic subtypes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer are driven by tumor cellular composition. Integrative epigenetics and transcriptomics identify aging genes in human blood. Normal gastric tissue Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with tissue cell composition, and cell type-specific epigenetic age acceleration, mitotic tick rate, and repetitive element methylation alterations. A cytokine-based serum proteomic score is a prognostic biomarker for immunotherapy in head and neck cancer. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition is Associated with Altered Immune Composition and Cytotoxic Function in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. |
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