Charlotte Kuperwasser

Research/Areas of Interest

Dr. Kuperwasser's research focuses on the cellular, molecular, developmental, and environmental mechanisms that regulate breast cancer risk, initiation, progression, and prevention. Her laboratory studies how breast epithelial cells, stem and progenitor cell states, stromal signals, extracellular matrix cues, immune pathways, and systemic factors interact to shape mammary gland development and tumor susceptibility.

The Kuperwasser laboratory develops and applies innovative human model systems, including humanized mouse models, three-dimensional organoids, and engineered tissue platforms, to study mammary morphogenesis, epithelial–stromal interactions, breast stem cell differentiation, tumor initiation, and the earliest changes that precede cancer. Current work is increasingly focused on how environmental exposures, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals, alter breast tissue development, epigenetic regulation, immune signaling, and cancer susceptibility.

The long-term goal of this research is to identify early biological events that contribute to breast cancer risk and to develop new strategies for prevention, early detection, and risk reduction before malignant disease emerges.