The Dores Lab uses human tissue culture to model diseases that affect cellular barriers within the body and study mechanisms of cellular communication. Our current research focus is on modeling host-pathogen interactions at the blood brain barrier by studying the role of the Cryptococcus neoformans cell wall polysaccharide glucuroxylomannan (GXM) in controlling the breakdown of tight junctions and adherens junctions in human brain endothelial cells, leading to fungal invasion of brain tissue. We are currently investigating how glioblastoma cells communicate with the blood brain barrier in order to understand how this aggressive cancer controls its microenvironment and access to nutrients. Finally, we are involved in a collaborative project to screening cell-permeable agonists of PKC-δ for use in developing treatments for cancer and inflammation. Our lab uses high-resolution confocal microscopy and live cell imaging, as well as protein biochemical techniques in our work.