The Clark lab at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on determining the molecular and cellular regulators of metastatic dormancy and recurrence within the liver. The lab utilizes a novel all-human ex vivo 3D liver microphysiological system to model metastasis. The system has not only enabled the recreation of dormant-emergent metastatic cancer progression as observed in vivo but also the identification of mechanisms, candidate biomarkers, and new therapeutic opportunities to target the various stages of metastasis. Their current research centers on: i) investigating how dysregulated gut homeostasis drives emergence from metastatic dormancy in the liver, and ii) examining how the bi-directional crosstalk mediated by extracellular vesicles regulates metastatic breast cancer dormancy in the liver.