The Armstrong/Somarelli lab investigates urgent challenges facing men with prostate cancer, including why tumors become resistant to hormone therapy, how cancer cells change and adapt over time, and how prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body in a process known as metastasis. Our goal is to develop new therapies that can delay, prevent, or overcome treatment resistance in aggressive forms of the disease.

We pair innovative clinical trials with laboratory-based studies that explore the biology of prostate cancer and how potential treatments work. Our research examines how cancer cells survive by entering dormant or “hibernating” states, evade the immune system, and adapt in ways that fuel resistance to therapy.

The lab also studies liquid biopsies and tissue-based testing to advance precision oncology approaches that help match patients with the most effective treatments for their cancer.

This work is supported by the NIH, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Department of Defense, industry partnerships connected to clinical trials, and grateful patients.