The Sherman Lab aims to understand the transcriptional and epigenetic gene-regulatory networks that underlie tumor-stroma interactions in pancreatic cancer, and to target these networks for therapeutic benefit. Our research focuses on the tumor-permissive molecular mechanisms underlying cancer-associated fibroblast function, and how these stromal mechanisms affect cell fate and function in the pancreatic epithelium with respect to gene expression, metabolism, and growth. Our laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the mechanistic underpinnings of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment, including mouse models of pancreatic cancer, three-dimensional cell culture systems such as patient-derived organoids, and diverse molecular- and cell-biological techniques focused on gene regulation.