Ioannis Zervantonakis, Ph.D. | Cell Molecular and Systems Biology PhD Program

Possible Rotation Projects:

Contact Dr. Zervantonakis to discuss projects in the areas of microfluidic device development, 3D cell migration, cell-ECM interactions, metastasis and drug resistance.

Training Technologies Used:

Microfluidics
3D printing
Live cell microscopy

Education & Training

Postdoc,Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School-2019
Ph.D.,Mechanical/Biological Engineering, MIT-2013
BSc, Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens &Technical University of Munich-2006

Recent Publications

A. L. Scott, D. E. Jazwinska, D. G. Kulawiec, I. K. Zervantonakis*. "Paracrine Ovarian Cancer Cell‐Derived CSF1 Signaling Regulates Macrophage Migration Dynamics in a 3D Microfluidic Model that Recapitulates in vivo Infiltration Patterns in Patient‐Derived Xenografts", Advanced Healthcare Materials, (2024)

D. E. Jazwinska, Y. Cho, I.K. Zervantonakis*. "Enhancing PKA-dependent mesothelial barrier integrity reduces ovarian cancer spheroid transmesothelial migration via inhibition of contractility", iScience (2024)

Poskus MD, McDonald J, Laird M, Li R, Norcoss K, I.K. Zervantonakis IK "Rational Design of HER2-Targeted Combination Therapies to Reverse Drug Resistance in Fibroblast-Protected HER2+ Breast Cancer Cells.", Cell Mol Bioeng, (2024)

S. Lee, Y. Cho, Y. Li, R. Li, A. W. Lau, M. S. Laird, D. Brown, P. McAuliffe, A. V. Lee, S. Oesterreich, I. K. Zervantonakis* & H. Osmanbeyoglu* "Cancer-cell derived S100A11 promotes macrophage recruitment in ER+ breast cancer", OncoImmunology, (2024)

M. Kalli, M. Poskus, T. Stylianopoulos, I.K. Zervantonakis*. "Beyond matrix stiffness: targeting force-induced cancer drug resistance", Trends Cancer (2023)

M. Poskus, T. Wang, Y. Deng, S. Borcherding, J. Atkinson, I.K. Zervantonakis*. "Fabrication of 3D-printed molds for polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidic devices using a liquid crystal display-based vat photopolymerization process: printing quality, drug response and 3D invasion cell culture assays", Microsystems and Nanoengineering (2023)

M. Labrie, J.S. Brugge, G.B Mills, I.K. Zervantonakis*. "Therapy resistance: opportunities created by adaptive responses to targeted therapies in cancer", Nature Reviews Cancer (2022)

M. Kalli, R. Li, G.B. Mills, T. Stylianopoulos*, I.K. Zernantonakis*. "Mechanical stress signaling in pancreatic cancer cells triggers p38 MAPK- and JNK- dependent cytoskeleton remodeling and promotes cell migration via Rac1/Cdc42/Myosin II", Molecular Cancer Research, 20(3):485-497, (2021)

I.K. Zervantonakis*, M.D. Poskus, A.L. Scott, L.M. Selfors, J. Lin, D.A. Dillon, S. Pathania, P.K. Sorger, G.B. Mills, J.S. Brugge*. "Fibroblast-tumor cell signaling limits HER2 kinase therapy response via activation of MTOR and antiapoptotic pathways", PNAS, 117(28), 16500-16508. (2020)

Full List of Publications

Research Interests

We employ a quantitative approach that integrates microfluidics, systems biology modeling, and in vivo experiments to investigate the role of complex microenvironments on cell growth, migration and response to perturbations in health (tissue homeostasis) and disease (cancer).