Triparna Sen, PhD

Dr. Triparna Sen is an Associate Professor, in the Department of Oncological Sciences, and the Director of the Lung Cancer PDX Platform at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. Dr. Sen is a cell and molecular biologist with a Ph.D. in cancer biology. She leads a multi-disciplinary team of investigators in laboratory-based, patient-focused investigations focused on cancer biology and precision medicine. Her final goal is to develop treatments that will lengthen and improve the quality of the lives of cancer patients.

The Sen Lab is focused on understanding the biology and development of new treatment paradigms for clinically relevant molecular subsets of lung cancer, like small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and squamous cell lung cancer (LUSC). The Sen Lab investigates the biology of tumor initiation, progression, plasticity, and drug resistance to uncover vulnerabilities that can be therapeutically targeted. We use genetic and transcriptomic analyses, functional genomics, and patient-derived models of lung cancer to identify and test novel treatment strategies, with the goal of translating these findings to improve cancer patient outcomes.

Dr. Sen is a pioneer in the field of lung cancer research and has driven fundamental advances in the understanding and characterization of SCLC, the most aggressive form of lung cancer. She has been extensively recognized as a national and international leader in SCLC research. Previously, Dr. Sen identified that DNA damage response (DDR) proteins are effective therapeutic targets for small-cell lung cancer treatment and that targeting DDR promotes antitumor immunity through the activation of innate immune signaling. In her recent work, Dr. Sen identified molecular determinants and novel therapeutic targets for lineage plasticity in lung cancer.

Dr. Sen has received several prestigious awards including- AAAS Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Award (2021); 40 under 40 in Cancer- Emerging Leaders Award (2020); AACR Women in Cancer Research Scholar Award; AACR Scholar-in-training Award; Jeffrey Lee Cousins fellowship and Immuno-Oncology-Young Investigator award.

Dr. Sen has received independent grant funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH/NCI-R01), the Department of Defense (DoD) Lung Cancer Research Program, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF), and The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). She is the author of several peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, and she is an active member of the IASLC, and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). She has authored over 50 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts in high-impact journals.

Due to her expertise and contribution, she has been nominated to be the Conference Co-Chair of the Hot Topic: Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Meeting supported by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC, October 2021); Session Chair for the IASLC Hot Topic: Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Meeting (2023); Program Committee member for IASLC- 2023 North America Conference on Lung Cancer; Program Committee member for IASLC- 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer. Dr. Sen is a member of the IASLC Career Development & Fellowship Committee for the 2023-2025 term, and in this role, she will help enhance IASLC’s strategic plan to offer world-class educational programs.

Her biggest personal goal, however, remains to inspire and help launch young scientists into independent careers. Dr. Sen continues to foster the next generation of scientific leaders. She has served as the two-time President of the Association for Women in Science-Gulf Coast Houston Chapter and currently serves on several national and international organizations that foster diversity and equity in science and technology fields.