Ionizing radiation plays an important role in the treatment in many cancers, either as definitive, adjuvant, or palliative therapy. Despite the prevalence of radiation treatment, molecular determinants of clinical benefit remain poorly characterized. Our work strives to better identify which patients will benefit most from radiation therapy, and to discover new strategies to sensitize otherwise radioresistant tumors. We focus on understanding mechanisms of radiation resistance in gastrointestinal malignancies, with a particular interest in the role of cellular heterogeneity and pancreatic cancer. To accomplish this, we utilize expertise in genetically engineered mouse models of cancer, radiation and cancer biology, single-cell transcriptomic and the functional investigation of cancer cell subpopulations. Our ultimate aim is to develop an understanding of essential processes in cancer biology to develop novel treatment strategies. We are also huge believers in team science - collaborators with similar or synergistic interests are always welcome!