Cancer is one of the leading causes of death, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths worldwide. Especially lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers have the lowest 5-year survival rate. These cancers often have an oncogenic mutation in a gene called KRAS. KRAS mutations are found predominantly in lung (approximately 25% of cases and estimated to affect 57,000 patients per year in the US), pancreatic (95% of cases and 54,000 patients), and colorectal (35% of cases and 36,000 patients) cancer. Mutations in NRAS and HRAS are relatively rare but are also found in cancer patients. My lab is interested in understanding how RAS mutations are activated and behave in cancer cells. To answer these questions, we utilize small-molecule inhibitors coupled with biochemical and proteomic approaches in cancer cell lines as well as patient-derived-xenograft model systems. Our goal is to contribute to understanding the fundamental biology of RAS driven cancers and to identify new therapeutic approaches that can improve survival and the quality of life in patients.