Jeffrey Neighbors, PhD

Dr. Neighbors has a multidisciplinary background that bridges synthetic organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and pharmacology. Dr. Neighbors has dedicated his career to the design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel small-molecule therapeutics. His unique expertise lies in developing highly specific pharmacological probes and advanced analytical methods, such as precise quantification of transient lipid metabolites, to interrogate complex metabolic pathways in cancer. His research is at the intersection of basic science and translational oncology, collaborating clinicians to advance new targeted therapies for malignancies.

Dr. Neighbors laboratory focuses on exploiting the metabolic vulnerabilities of cancer, with a primary emphasis on the isoprenoid biosynthetic (mevalonate) pathway and intracellular lipid trafficking. A major pillar of their joint research involves the development and application of novel geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase inhibitors (GGSIs), such as digeranyl bisphosphonate (DGBP) and TTI-6142. By blocking protein prenylation, specifically the geranylgeranylation of Rho-family GTPases, their team is uncovering new ways to halt metastatic progression, prevent neuroendocrine differentiation in advanced prostate cancer, and sensitize high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma to anti-GD2 immunotherapies. Additionally, the lab extensively studies schweinfurthins, a unique class of compounds that disrupt oxysterol-binding proteins. Their cutting-edge work has demonstrated that these agents induce profound endoplasmic reticulum stress and PERK-independent immunogenic cell death, offering highly innovative strategies to turn immunologically "cold" tumors into visible targets for immune clearance.