
Stephen Gruber Lab
Research Lab Overview

Our lab utilizes statistical modeling to understand the development of colorectal cancers in different populations, such as the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Our research specializes in cancer risks related to the APC I1307K founder mutation.
We are a collaborating site to The Li-Fraumeni & TP53: Understanding & Progress (LiFT UP) study, an international effort to better understand cancer risk, modifiers of risk, and clinical outcomes for individuals and families with mutations, variants and pathogenic variants in the TP53 gene.
An internationally recognized cancer geneticist and oncologist, Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., leads City of Hope's Center for Precision Medicine and is a principal investigator for Cancer Genetics Research Registry, a cornerstone of our Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network.

Lab Members


Recruited to the Department of Medical Oncology in November 2021 from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Heather Hampel is an internationally-recognized cancer genetic counselor and researcher with a particular emphasis on universal tumor screening of all colorectal and endometrial cancer patients for Lynch Syndrome.


Dr. Idos is a board-certified gastroenterologist and trained cancer geneticist who specializes in caring for patients with Lynch syndrome, FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis) and other inherited syndromes. The goal of his research is to find new ways to prevent cancer and to improve treatment and care for cancer patients.


Dr. McDonnell specializes in medical oncology and clinical cancer genetics. Named a Top Cancer Doctor by Los Angeles Magazine, Dr. McDonnell brings more than two decades of expertise to his current role at City of Hope.


Ilana Solomon, Sc.M., CGC, is manager of the Precision Medicine Program and a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She received her master’s degree in genetic counseling from the Johns Hopkins/National Human Genome Research Institute. Ilana joined City of Hope's Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2013, where she provides cancer genetics services for patients and families suspected of having a hereditary predisposition to cancer. Since 2019, she has also managed and developed City of Hope’s Precision Medicine Program to provide all City of Hope patients with genomic-driven care.
Ilana has research interests in health care communication and implementation, genetic literacy, and ELSI in genomics. She helped co-develop Helping Oncology Patients Explore (HOPE) Genomics: a patient-directed IT platform for cancer genome sequencing education and return of results. She is faculty for City of Hope's Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and Southern California Genetic Counselors.










Bita Nehoray, M.S., CGC, is a licensed, board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She received her master's in human genetics and genetic counseling from Stanford University. Bita joined City of Hope's Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2012, where she provides cancer genetics services for patients and families suspected of having a hereditary predisposition to cancer, focusing on Li-Fraumeni syndrome and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential.




Research Focus
- Cancer genomics
- DNA damage response pathways
- Mutational signatures
Education
- 2022-present, T32 Training Program DNA Damage Response and Oncogenic Signaling (DNADRS)
- 2018-2021, Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program, City of Hope, Duarte, CA and Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
- 2015-2018, Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- 2011-2015, Doctor of Medicine, Houston Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX
Awards
- 2017-2018, Excellence in Primary Care Award, Department of Medicine, USC
- 2015-2016, Intern of the Year, Department of Medicine, USC
- 2015, Travel Award, Society for Melanoma Research Congress
Memberships
- 2016-present, American College of Physicians
- 2015-present, Society for Melanoma Research
- 2013-present, American Society of Clinical Oncology


Lab Alumni
- Crystal Adams — Reno, Nevada
- Kandace Amend — Optum Health
- Erin Blake — Presbyterian Healthcare Services
- Chase Bowen — University of Texas
- Marci Ciccone — University of Southern California
- Talie Cloud — Health Plan of San Mateo
- Michelle Cote — Karmanos Cancer Center, Wayne State University
- Jonathan Dakubo — University of Ghana
- Michele Gornick — University of Michigan
- Sharon Hensley-Alford — Henry Ford Health System
- Maria Dolores Iniesta — MD Anderson
- Joanne Jeter — University of Utah
- Kirsten Kangelaris — University of San Francisco
- Charalampos Lazaris — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Asaf Maoz — Dana Farber Cancer Institute
- Marilena Melas — New York University Genome Center
- Leah Naghi — City of Hope
- Bethany Niell — Moffitt Cancer Center
- Jen Poynter — University of Minnesota
- Blake Powell — Tulane University
- Kristen Purrington — Karmanos Cancer Center, Wayne State University
- Chenxu Qu — Beijing, China
- Leon Raskin — Abbvie
- Laura Rozek — Georgetown University
- Sumita Roy — Wayne State University
- Jewel Samadder — Mayo Clinic
- Stephanie Schmit — Cleveland Clinic
- Sana Shakour — University of Michigan
- Eduardo Villar — MD Anderson
- Joann Yuan — Optum Health
Partnerships
We collaborate with organizations in progressing the development of new treatments in our specialized areas of research.

Our Publications
Fernandez-Rozadilla, C., Timofeeva, M., Chen, Z., Law, P., Thomas, M., Schmit, S., Díez-Obrero, V., Hsu, L., Fernandez-Tajes, J., Palles, C., Sherwood, K., Briggs, S., Svinti, V., Donnelly, K., Farrington, S., Blackmur, J., Vaughan-Shaw, P., Shu, X. O., Long, J., Cai, Q., … Peters, U. (2023).
Murphy, N., Song, M., Papadimitriou, N., Carreras-Torres, R., Langenberg, C., Martin, R. M., Tsilidis, K. K., Barroso, I., Chen, J., Frayling, T. M., Bull, C. J., Vincent, E. E., Cotterchio, M., Gruber, S. B., Pai, R. K., Newcomb, P. A., Perez-Cornago, A., van Duijnhoven, F. J. B., Van Guelpen, B., Vodicka, P., … Gunter, M. J. (2022).
McDonnell, K. J., Chemler, J. A., Bartels, P. L., O'Brien, E., Marvin, M. L., Ortega, J., Stern, R. H., Raskin, L., Li, G. M., Sherman, D. H., Barton, J. K., & Gruber, S. B. (2018).
Glatz, A. C., Purrington, K. S., Klinger, A., King, A. R., Hellinger, J., Zhu, X., Gruber, S. B., & Gruber, P. J. (2014).
Stevens, K. N., Hakonarson, H., Kim, C. E., Doevendans, P. A., Koeleman, B. P., Mital, S., Raue, J., Glessner, J. T., Coles, J. G., Moreno, V., Granger, A., Gruber, S. B., & Gruber, P. J. (2010).
Niell, B. L., Long, J. C., Rennert, G., & Gruber, S. B. (2003).
Gruber, S. B., Ellis, N. A., Scott, K. K., Almog, R., Kolachana, P., Bonner, J. D., Kirchhoff, T., Tomsho, L. P., Nafa, K., Pierce, H., Low, M., Satagopan, J., Rennert, H., Huang, H., Greenson, J. K., Groden, J., Rapaport, B., Shia, J., Johnson, S., Gregersen, P. K., … Offit, K. (2002).
Laken, S. J., Petersen, G. M., Gruber, S. B., Oddoux, C., Ostrer, H., Giardiello, F. M., Hamilton, S. R., Hampel, H., Markowitz, A., Klimstra, D., Jhanwar, S., Winawer, S., Offit, K., Luce, M. C., Kinzler, K. W., & Vogelstein, B. (1997).
Latest Research News

External Publications
Precision medicine for all: cancer centre makes genomic analysis a top priority, Nature Portfolio
Contact Information
34.1293487, -117.9726643
Duarte , CA 91010