Ana C deCarvalho, PhD

Member of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute

Biographical Statement

Dr. deCarvalho is an associate scientist in the Department of Neurosurgery and directs the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center Live Biobank at Henry Ford. She has extensive experience in biomedical research, combining scientific and project management skills in the integration of multi-institutional and interdisciplinary oncology research. Her expertise includes challenging projects in academic, non-profit research hospital and industry settings.

In addition, she serves as associate professor of research in the Department of Physiology at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and as adjunct associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. deCarvalho has cultivated a wide range of local, national and international collaborators with the common goal of dissecting the biology and improving treatments for brain tumors.

Research Interests

Dr. deCarvalho's team is currently investigating biomarkers and mechanisms of resistance to therapy in primary high grade brain tumors.

Outcomes remain poor for many brain tumor patients, especially those with high-grade gliomas like glioblastoma, despite intensive treatment, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The team develops, characterizes and banks patient-derived brain tumor models for preclinical studies. Using these clinically relevant models, they investigate the multifaceted drivers of malignancy and treatment resistance in high-grade gliomas. To advance patient outcomes, they prioritize therapeutic target validation amid the complex challenges of co-activated oncogenic pathways, extensive tumor heterogeneity and cellular plasticity.

Email: adecarv1@hfhs.org