Valerie Weaver

Valerie Weaver demonstrated that extracellular matrix stiffness drives cancer progression through mechanotransduction, showing that collagen crosslinking and tissue stiffening activate integrin signaling cascades that promote breast cancer invasion, proliferation, and drug resistance. Her work revealed that increased ECM stiffness activates YAP/TAZ mechanotransducers and focal adhesion kinase to reprogram gene expression toward a malignant phenotype. She has shown that matrix stiffness heterogeneity within tumors creates mechanical niches that select for aggressive cancer cell subpopulations. Her research has established mechanobiology as a critical dimension of the tumor microenvironment.