Latonia Taliaferro-Smith, PhD

Dr. Taliaferro-Smith attended Howard University Graduate School as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Pre-doctoral Fellow where she earned a PhD Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Following graduate school, she completed a two-year postdoctoral appointment at The Cancer Center for Research and Therapeutic Development at Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Taliaferro-Smith then completed a NIH/IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Dr. Taliaferro-Smith's research has focused on deciphering the mechanisms that control the aggressive and metastatic behaviors of triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) and on identifying and validating clinically relevant biomarker as novel therapeutic targets for treating this deadly disease. Her laboratory works in focuses on biomarkers and biological mechanisms governing TNBC metastatic recurrence in an effort to aid in the development of novel therapies that reduce the deaths linked to TNBC metastasis. Their research goals are to decipher the mechanisms linking growth factor signaling to cell polarization, invasion, and metastasis in TNBCs and to evaluate effects of combined inhibitors as a therapeutic approach for inhibiting metastasis. They specifically examine the crosstalk between growth factor receptors and focal adhesion as a potential mechanism that regulates the metastatic behavior of TNBCs.