The Oudin Lab is interested in dissecting the mechanisms of cancer metastasis and drug resistance. We focus on the role of the tumor microenvironment, specifically on the role of the extracellular matrix, in driving invasion and contributing to resistance to chemotherapy. We are also interested in dissecting the neuronal properties of tumors: both the nerves that innervate the the tumors and the neuronal properties that tumor cells take on as they grow.
The diagnosis of Dr. Oudin’s daughter with SCN8A encephalopathy has led to to a new research area in the lab, investigating how alternative splicing of sodium channels impacts neuronal function and the development of epilepsy. We aim to develop novel therapies for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as those caused by mutations in SCN8A.
Click here to donate and support SCN8A epilepsy research in the lab.
At first, it may seem like cancer and the developing brain have nothing to do with each other. However, when you dig a little deeper, it’s easy to see that these two biological processes have a lot in common.
Genes that regulate axon guidance in the developing brain have been found to regulate tumor cell migration and metastasis.
Alternatively spliced isoforms present in the brain are also found in tumors.
The bioelectrical properties of tumor cells can regulate their metastatic potential via ion channels that are known to regulate neuronal activity. The same ion channels are mutated in cancer and in epilepsy.
Tumors are associated with an increase in nerve density and nerves are present within breast tumors and contribute to invasion and metastasis.
We leverage our expertise in cancer and neuroscience to identify novel treatments for cancer metastasis and epilepsy.
The diagnosis of Dr. Oudin’s daughter with SCN8A encephalopathy has led to to a new research area in the lab, investigating how alternative splicing of sodium channels impacts neuronal function and the development of epilepsy. We aim to develop novel therapies for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as those caused by mutations in SCN8A.
Click here to donate and support SCN8A epilepsy research in the lab.
At first, it may seem like cancer and the developing brain have nothing to do with each other. However, when you dig a little deeper, it’s easy to see that these two biological processes have a lot in common.
Genes that regulate axon guidance in the developing brain have been found to regulate tumor cell migration and metastasis.
Alternatively spliced isoforms present in the brain are also found in tumors.
The bioelectrical properties of tumor cells can regulate their metastatic potential via ion channels that are known to regulate neuronal activity. The same ion channels are mutated in cancer and in epilepsy.
Tumors are associated with an increase in nerve density and nerves are present within breast tumors and contribute to invasion and metastasis.
We leverage our expertise in cancer and neuroscience to identify novel treatments for cancer metastasis and epilepsy.
Prof. Madeleine Oudin
Image by Sammy Kata.
LAB FUNDING
Click here to donate and support SCN8A epilepsy research in the Oudin lab.
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NEWSApril 2025
Congratulations to Liyi Peng, who successfully defended her Masters Thesis! 
March 2025
We welcome two new PhD students to the lab: Jackie Fahey, from the GSBS Neuroscience program and Mallory Caron, from the GSBS GMCB program. January 2025 Anna, Crystal and Hanan attend Keystone Conferences in Banff Canada and present their work. 
December 2024
We celebrate the end of the year with a few events: annual state of the lab, lab outing to Boda Borg, attending Hanan and Crystal's talks downtown and hotpot! Happy Holidays everyone! 
Haley and Madeleine attend the Annual American Epilepsy Society Meeting in LA and give 5 talks over 3 days on their work developing ASOs for SCN8A DEE. 
November 2024
Madeleine participates in the Autism Tree Annual Conference as the keynote speaker, sharing her story harnessing her daughter's diagnosis to develop novel treatments for neurodevelopment disorders in San Diego, CA. We welcome 2 new GMCB students rotating in the Oudin lab: Mallory Caron and Megan Wong. The Oudin lab presents at the 4th Converging on Cancer Research at Tufts Symposium organized by Madeleine and Karl Munger. 
October 2024
Madeleine, and many of the faculty of the BME department, attended BMES in Baltimore. Madeleine co-chaired the Cancer Technologies Track with Erica Pratt from BU. 
New pre-print - a clinical study demonstrating the use of Cenobamate as an add-on treatment for SCN8A DEE, on MedRxiv. September 2024 The lab does its annual apple picking trip to Honey Pot Hill Orchards. 
Madeleine is appointed Tiampo Family Faculty Fellow.
Anna, Haley, Hanan and Crystal present at the Annual BME retreat. Congratulations to Haley for obtaining 2nd place poster award! 
August 2024
We welcome Dr. Ankit Pandey, new post-doc in the lab. Haley and Madeleine attends the Epilepsy GRC in New Hampshire. 
We say goodbye to our high schoolers from the TUBERS program who worked in the lab for 6 weeks under the supervision of Crystal Zhang. 
Madeleine co-organizes the first global SCN8A Research Roadmap at Tufts and MIT, bringing together key stakeholders in the SCN8A community to identify main gaps and research priorities. 
July 2024
Summer outing to Level 99 with the lab! 
The lab welcomes Audrey Pierce, new research associate in the lab.
Anna and Madeleine attend the GRC Signaling by Adhesion Receptors in NH. Madeleine is elected vice-chair for 2026! Paper accepted! Sydney's study on the temporal effects of obesity on the ECM of breast tissue and cancer progression is out at Cancer Research! Congratulations to Hanan who has been awarded an F30 grant from the NCI to support his work on the role of sensory nerve-breast tumor cell crosstalk in cancer progression. 
We welcome two high schoolers as part of our high school TUBERS summer program: Kaylee and Katelyn. June 2024 The lab welcomes Nadia Soulati, current PhD student at University of Glasgow in Prof. Delphine Gourdon's lab, who will be spending 3 months in the lab. Hanan, Crystal, Haley and Madeleine attend the GMCB Department Annual Retreat in Maine. Hanan and Crystal presented posters. Haley gave a talk and won the prize for best talk! 
May 2024
New grant!! The lab receives an R01 from NINDS with Prof. Chris Dulla and Prof. Chris Burge from MIT to target alternative splicing in sodium channels to treat pediatric encephalopathies. We welcome Lili Peng, current MSc student in BME, who will work on understanding the effects of chemotherapy on the ECM in breast cancer. The lab says goodbye to research technician Savannah after 2 fantastic years in the lab, as she goes off to do her PhD at Rutgers University. 
Happy graduation day to all the Oudin Lab members past and present who are celebrating this weekend: Dr. Sydney Conner, Hannah Borges (MSc in BME), Jeanne Duong (MSc in BME), Amreen Nareen (MSc in BME), Grace Hamilton, Giang Le, Jack Meehan and senior design team Hannah Kong, Cassidy Ho, Harrison Wilson, Isabel Hansman. We wish you all the best!!
Congratulations to Crystal Zhang for passing her qualification exam.
Congratulations to MSc student Jeanne Duong, co-advised by Prof. Valli Mallidi for defending her thesis titled ' Investigation of synergistic combinatory treatment of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy on TNBC metastatic potential'. Congratulations to our senior design team, for presenting their Capstone project work. 
April 2024
Congratulations to Hannah Borges, who defended her Masters thesis. 
Anna and Madeleine write a Landmark Perspective in Cancer Research on the role of ECM stiffness in cancer progression. March 2024 Tufts Now writes an article on the Oudin lab's journey into epilepsy research. 
Congratulations to Crystal, who has received an award from the Scheeer-Tomasso Fund to cover her tuition.
Madeleine gives the keynote talk at SFARI Investigators Meeting at the Simons Foundation in NY entitled 'Harnessing my daughter's diagnosis to develop new treatments for neurodevelopment disorders' The lab's paper describing the invasive and metastatic potential of 6 commonly used TNBC cell lines is out in Breast Cancer Research. Madeleine attends the Cancer Neuroscience Meeting at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas and presents the lab's work on crosstalk between sensory nerves and tumor cells in breast cancer metastasis. February 2024 BME Undergrad Katie Lew, SEPA STEM fellow in the lab, is featured on Tufts Now! 
January 2024
Happy New Year! BME PhD student Tom Gerton officially joins the lab. Grant funded! The lab receives a new grant from the Mathers Foundation aimed at developing ASOs for SCN8A epilepsy, in collaboration with the Dulla lab. 
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