Metastasis remains the principal cause of cancer mortality, yet the biological mechanisms that enable tumor cells to survive dissemination and colonize distant organs remain incompletely understood. The Padmanaban Lab investigates a fundamental and underappreciated regulator of this process: the peripheral nervous system. Our discoveries are centered around three interconnected research directions: First, we define mechanisms of cancer-induced neuronal reprogramming, identifying how tumor-derived cues convert quiescent sensory neurons into metastasis-promoting states and uncovering the transcriptional programs that drive this transition. Second, we determine how organ-specific sensory innervation shapes metastatic niches, investigating how neural remodeling in tissues such as lung, liver, and bone influences metastatic seeding, dormancy, and outgrowth. Third, we dissect neuro-immune integration in metastasis, defining how nerve-derived signals coordinate innate immune responses and inflammation to regulate tumor progression across tissue contexts. Through these efforts, we aim to establish peripheral nerve co-option as a mechanistic driver of metastatic disease and to identify neural dependencies that can be disrupted to prevent metastatic recurrence.

The Padmanaban Lab sits at the interface of cell biology, neurobiology, and cancer biology. We use genetically engineered mouse models, advanced imaging, transcriptomics, 3D organotypic cultures, and functional perturbation approaches to study metastatic progression across molecular, cellular, and tissue scales. Trainees are encouraged to ask bold mechanistic questions, design thoughtful experiments, and develop ownership over their scientific ideas.