The CCG research group specialises in the design, development, and application of computational methods to investigate cancer evolution and related biological processes using data from various sequencing technologies. A core value of the CCG Lab is its translational goal; therefore, most projects are based on data from clinical, human samples, with the goal of identifying fundamental biological information, or applications ready for clinical use, that can be translated for the benefit of patients. In fact, the CCG's research is inspired by the fundamental belief that using formal, consolidated, and robust methodologies is key to accurately addressing important unanswered questions on complex cancer evolutionary processes, and that accuracy is necessary to identify opportunities for translation.
We currently focus on the understanding of the evolutionary histories and migration patterns of metastatic cancer cells. To achieve this goal, we focus on the analysis of the cutting-edge single-cell data that we generate using single-cell whole-genome sequencing technologies, which enables the whole-genome sequencing of thousands of individual cells in parallel from the same tumour. The novel features of these revolutionary data have the potential to reveal novel cancer evolutionary and metastatic insights at unprecedented resolution, but they make their analysis particularly challenging. To address the challenges of this new era of cancer genomics, we develop computational methods that are based on rigorous mathematical models and algorithms. Combining innovative biological technologies with formal consolidated methodologies is the key to enable us to address these important unanswered questions and identify the related opportunities for clinical translation.
Our projects
Most of our projects are the result of interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues of different expertise, enabling us to fully and accurately explore the proposed key questions from multiple angles. Our collaborators can be found below. The following pages include a detailed description and additional resources, including educational videos, research conference talks, and related publications.
Single cell projects
We analyse single-cell sequencing data to investigate tumour evolution from individual cells.
Intra-tumour heterogeneity projects
We analyse sequencing data from multiple bulk tumour samples to investigate intra-tumour heterogeneity.
Metastasis projects
We analyse single-cell sequencing data to investigate tumour evolution from individual cells.
Funders
The full list of publications is available in the following:
Contact
Informal enquiries are welcome, both from potential collaborators and potential PhD and postdoctoral candidates. Enquiries for remote internships are also welcome. Please find announcements about open positions within our group on our social media (related links on the CCG website). Send your expression of interest, informal enquiries and questions to Simone Zaccaria.
