ABOUT

Ralph Francescone, Ph.D., is a pancreatic cancer researcher and co-leader of the Vendramini-Francescone Laboratory with his wife, Dr. Débora Barbosa Vendramini Costa. 

Francescone earned his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studied the glycoprotein biomarker, YKL-40, in glioblastoma. He completed postdoctoral training at Fox Chase Cancer Center, where he investigated tumor inflammation and the extracellular matrix in pancreatic cancer. In 2023, Dr. Francescone joined Henry Ford Health. He is a PanCAN Early Career Development Award recipient and serves as an Associate Editor for Scientific Reports. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from Merrimack College.

RESEARCH

In pancreatic cancer, the nontumor compartment (stroma) becomes greatly expanded, with abundant fibroblasts and immune cells, though the mechanisms driving this reaction remain unclear. The Vendramini Francescone Lab studies the tumor microenvironment, focusing on how cancer associated fibroblasts and their extracellular matrix support tumor growth through metabolic regulation and immunosuppression. The lab also analyzes tumor interstitial fluid to identify the true metabolites, proteins, and lipids available to cancer cells. Their research uses advanced 3D culture systems, CRISPR engineering, single cell and spatial technologies, and orthotopic mouse models to uncover fibroblast biology with translational relevance.