Welcome to the Roarty Laboratory
We are a research group at Baylor College of Medicine dedicated to understanding how breast tissue develops and how those same biological systems are disrupted in cancer. Our mission is to uncover the fundamental mechanisms that drive breast cancer progression and metastasis—when cancer cells spread to other parts of the body—and to use that knowledge to guide new strategies for treatment.
Breast cancer is not a single disease, and its ability to spread makes it especially difficult to treat. In our lab, we study how healthy breast cells grow, specialize, and interact with their environment—and how cancer cells hijack and repurpose those same developmental programs to invade new tissues and resist therapy.
By combining powerful tools like 3D organoid cultures, advanced imaging, single-cell analysis, and in vivo models, we explore how tumors evolve, how different cell types within a tumor cooperate, and what allows cancer cells to survive and grow in distant organs. We are especially focused on the molecular signals and cellular behaviors that enable metastasis, with the goal of identifying weak points that could be targeted with new therapies.
Our team includes students, postdocs, and collaborators who share a passion for discovery and a commitment to making a difference for patients with breast cancer. Whether you are a fellow scientist, potential collaborator, student, or advocate—we invite you to explore our work, get in touch, and be part of our mission to transform insight into impact in breast cancer research.