Diversity in Life Sciences

Dr. Stacey Finley is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Quantitative & Computational Biology, at the University of Southern California and the inaugural holder of the Nichole A. and Thuan Q. Pham Professorship. Dr. Finley received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Florida A & M University and obtained her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. She completed postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Finley joined the faculty at USC in 2013, and she leads the Computational Systems Biology Laboratory. Dr. Finley has a joint appointment in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and she is a member of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Finley is also a standing member of the MABS Study Section at NIH. Her research has been supported by grants from the NSF, NIH, and American Cancer Society.

Dr. Finley's current research applies a systems biology approach to develop molecular-detailed computational models of biological processes related to human disease. The main projects are focused on applying computational modeling to study angiogenesis, metabolism, and immunotherapy. Current projects study how these processes are exploited in cancer. The biochemical networks that regulate these processes involve numerous cell types, molecular species, and signaling pathways, and the dynamics occur on multiple timescales. Therefore, a systems biology approach, including experiment-based computational modeling, is required to understand these complex processes and their interconnectedness in cancer. Models can simulate biological processes under pathological conditions and predict interventions that restore normal physiology. Additionally, the models can identify which tumors will respond favorably to a particular therapy, aiding in the development and optimization of effective therapeutics.