Joan Massague

Joan Massague is the foremost authority on TGF-beta signaling in cancer, having elucidated how TGF-beta switches from tumor suppressor to metastasis promoter during cancer progression. His laboratory discovered the SMAD family of transcription factors that transduce TGF-beta signals and defined how TGF-beta drives epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and organ-specific metastatic colonization. He demonstrated that TGF-beta signaling in the tumor microenvironment suppresses anti-tumor immunity and promotes metastatic niche formation. His comprehensive dissection of TGF-beta in cancer has provided the scientific foundation for every TGF-beta-targeting therapeutic in development.