Overview
Darren Tyson is an experimental biologist by training and a computational biologist in practice. Prior to joining Duke at the end of 2024, he was a Research Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. His recent work is in the realm of cancer systems biology where he examines how individual cancer cells respond to changes in their environment, especially therapeutic intervention and the development of resistance. Outside of work he is an avid biker and hiker and lover of all things outdoors.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Research Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
·
2025 - Present
Pharmacology & Cancer Biology,
Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
·
2025 - Present
Duke Cancer Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Recent Publications
Basal cell of origin resolves neuroendocrine-tuft lineage plasticity in cancer.
Journal Article Nature · November 2025 Neuroendocrine and tuft cells are rare chemosensory epithelial lineages defined by the expression of ASCL1 and POU2F3 transcription factors, respectively. Neuroendocrine cancers, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC), frequently display tuft-like subsets ... Full text Link to item CiteIntercellular signaling reinforces single-cell level phenotypic transitions and facilitates robust re-equilibrium of heterogeneous cancer cell populations.
Journal Article Cell Commun Signal · August 28, 2025 BACKGROUND: Cancer cells within tumors exhibit a wide range of phenotypic states driven by non-genetic mechanisms, such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in addition to extensively studied genetic alterations. Conversions among cancer cell sta ... Full text Link to item CiteAddressing persistent challenges in digital image analysis of cancer tissue: resources developed from a hackathon.
Journal Article Mol Oncol · June 2025 The National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports numerous research consortia that rely on imaging technologies to study cancerous tissues. To foster collaboration and innovation in this field, the Image Analysis Working Group (IAWG) was created in 2019. As mul ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Coordinating Center for the NCI Small Cell Lung Cancer Research Consortium
ResearchAssociate Research Professor · Awarded by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center · 2022 - 2027Mechanisms of Arginine Deprivation in Small Cell Lung Cancer
ResearchFaculty Member · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2026View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
Saint Louis University ·
1998
Ph.D.