by Hannah Buckelew
On August 1, 2023, the Department of Pathology welcomes a new faculty member to the Division of Neuropathology.
Andrea Comba, Ph.D., joins the department as assistant professor, Neuropathology. Dr. Comba was previously a research investigator at the University of Michigan School of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Comba received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Cancer Cellular and Molecular Biology in 2013 from the School of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina, before completing a post-doctoral research fellowship in the National University of Cordoba’s Department of Biological Chemistry in 2016. In 2021, Comba completed a second post-doctoral research fellowship in the University of Michigan’s Department of Neurosurgery before serving as a research investigator.
Comba’s research focuses on high-grade gliomas (HGG), the most frequent and aggressive type of brain tumor. Despite current cancer therapies, HGG remains uncured due to its immune suppressive environment and highly diffusive invasion of the brain. Comba’s previous research revealed the molecular mechanism underlying collectively organized migration patterns (oncostreams) of malignant gliomas, and their interactions with the tumor microenvironment. This study characterized that COL1A1 inhibition is an actionable target with translational relevance for glioma treatment.
In addition to Comba’s research experience, she is well-versed in the realm of education, having served as a teaching assistant professor, course organizer, instructor and teaching coordinator. She has mentored numerous researchers, undergraduate and high school students. A recipient of several honors and awards, Comba most recently won the Postdoctoral Translational Scholars Program (PTSP) Career Development Award from the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR), the University of Michigan Post-doctoral Association (UMPDA) Conference Award and the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) Scholar-in-Training Award. She is a member of the AACR and the Society of Neuro-Oncology.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Andrea Comba to the UAB Department of Pathology.