The focus of Dr. Boss’s research program is to explore how novel experimental therapeutics influence the efficacy of radiation therapy through normal tissue and tumor microenvironmental effects. Her research is focused on projects investigating radiotherapy for tumors of the head and neck in the laboratory and in clinical trials with companion animals. She has an interest in investigating the role of the immune response in radiation oncology. Currently, Dr. Boss is exploring the impact of regional lymph node irradiation on anti-tumor immunity in head and neck cancer, as well as investigating novel radioimmunotherapy combinations to enhance local and system tumor control.
About Dr. Boss
Dr. Boss attended veterinary school at North Carolina State University after majoring in Animal Science at University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a residency in radiation oncology at NC State. She then completed a PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences program, focusing on radiation biology. At the Flint Animal Cancer Center, she is a clinician scientist, board certified in radiation oncology. She also leads the Comparative Radiation Oncology Laboratory.
In 2022, Boss earned a K01 Research Career Development award from the National Institutes of Health. Additional funding from the National Cancer Institute and the Colorado Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) also bolsters the research program.
About the Lab
Currently, Dr. Boss’s lab team is working on integrated head and neck cancer research projects. They’re testing a combination of repurposed drugs in parallel with radiation therapy, as well as adjusting the dose of radiation therapy delivered throughout the tumors to see if they can modify the immune microenvironment to better fight cancer. They hope that these studies have applications for treating both humans and companion animals with head and neck cancer.
The Comparative Radiation Oncology Laboratory has a strong partnership with collaborators at the University of Colorado Cancer Center on the Anschutz Campus. This collaborative team is exploring canine sinonasal carcinoma with the aim of better treatment options for humans — and our canine companions. Read more.
Lab Members
Lab PI
Diplomate ACVR (Radiation Oncology)
Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology
Research Associate II
Lab Manager
DVM, MVM, MS
Diplomate ACVR (Radiation Oncology)
PhD student, Cell & Molecular Biology
Visiting Professor
Research Associate I