Control of cell behavior rests upon an extraordinary remodeling of the cell, using the same parts to accomplish purposes as distinct as apoptosis and proliferation. These transformations rely on differences in the kinetics or subcellular placement of signaling events, a level of regulation that can only be fully understood by studying protein activities within live cells and animals. This talk will focus on the migration of cancer cells and how they are guided by aligned collagen fibers from tumors to the vasculature. We will explore techniques to report and control the conformational changes of individual molecules using generally applicable approaches. Emphasis will be on Rho GTPase pathways and adhesion molecules regulated by mechanical force.

Dr. Hahn is the Thurman Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His lab focuses on two synergistic areas: 1) developing methods to visualize and control protein activity in live cells and animals, and 2) applying these to shed light on the spatio-temporal control of signaling  during metastasis and immune cell interactions. Dr. Hahn has received the James Shannon Director’s Award from the NIH, the Pearse Prize of the British Royal Microscopy Society, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He founded the Olympus Imaging Center at UNC. Dr. Hahn has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers including Science, Nature, Cell, etc. with h-index 70.