Abnormal cellular signaling is the fundamental attribute of many orphan diseases including cancer. Professor Lazo's laboratory currently focuses on understanding the biochemical basis for drug actions and on identifying novel agents that affect aberrant cellular signaling in neglected and orphan diseases. The most basic research of Professor Lazo addresses the biological function of protein phosphatases and kinases in cellular relay signaling systems. Employing small hairpin RNA methodologies, Professor Lazo’s laboratory has provided convincing evidence for the role of the protein phosphatase PRL-1 in tumor cell invasion and adherence and the phosphatases Cdc25B in the resumption of cell cycle post-mitotic progression. Using small molecule libraries, the Lazo Laboratory has also probed the active site structure and function of protein phosphatases. A considerable effort is now being focused on the use of automated high throughput screening methods to identify new pharmacologically interesting agents.