Dr. Salazar’s research work has focused on studying the effects of chemoattractant receptors with the goal of learning about the tumor environment to treat not only cancer but also other diseases largely influenced by the chemokine receptor family of proteins. Dr. Salazar’s research lab focuses on three aspects: (1) identifying tumor and tumor-endothelial-cell markers to assess their interactions and role in cancer cell growth, (2) analyzing the relationship of antibody structure with function, and (3) describing and explaining the role chemokine receptors play in cancer health disparities across ethnically and socioeconomically diverse groups.
The lab applies therapeutic targeting strategies using cell functional assays to study cancer specifically focusing on the molecular patterns of cell surface receptors that differentiate better versus worse outcomes. In her research group, Dr. Salazar has mentored more than 25 undergraduate, two community college, eight master's, and two post-bac students, who have made major contributions to research projects and are now biotech and health industry professionals.