Preclinical In Vivo Oncology CRO · University of California, Los Angeles

Academic rigor for the therapeutics that come next.

A boutique Contract Research Organization specializing in advanced preclinical in vivo drug screening for solid tumor oncology — with deep expertise in the tumor microenvironment and the metabolic biology of pancreatic cancer.

Discuss your program Explore capabilities

20+: Years in in vivo therapeutics models
Solid tumor: Oncology focus, pancreatic specialty
Select: Collaborations accepted each year

Direct, hands-on oversight by principal investigators

Highly funded, peer-reviewed research program

Data integrity prioritized above volume

Who we are

A translational laboratory that operates like a research partner — not a vendor.

Housed within UCLA, the Pancreatic Cancer Translational Laboratory brings unparalleled academic rigor to the preclinical testing space. Our work sits at the intersection of obesity and pancreatic cancer progression — the complex, metabolically driven biology that conventional screening too often overlooks.

Because we prioritize rigorous data integrity and scientific excellence above volume, we intentionally take on a very select number of industry collaborations. Every project we accept receives our utmost focus and the direct, hands-on oversight of leading experts in the field.

Capabilities

Preclinical in vivo drug screening, end to end.

Purpose-built models and readouts to validate novel therapeutics in physiologically relevant solid tumor settings.

In Vivo Efficacy Studies

Tumor growth inhibition and survival studies in orthotopic, subcutaneous, and syngeneic solid tumor models with longitudinal monitoring.

Tumor Microenvironment Analysis

Characterization of immune infiltrate, stroma, and the metabolic niche that shape therapeutic response in pancreatic and other solid tumors.

Early Cancer Interception

Diet-induced obesity models that test whether candidate therapeutics can intercept pancreatic cancer at its earliest, pre-malignant stages — before invasive disease takes hold.

Histopathology & Biomarkers

Endpoint histology, immunohistochemistry, and biomarker readouts to connect mechanism of action with measurable in vivo effect.

Study Design & Reporting

Statistically powered designs and transparent data packages built for clear go/no-go decisions.

The boutique approach

Fewer projects. Deeper attention. Better data.

We are not a high-throughput volume shop. We are a translational research laboratory that accepts a limited number of partners so that each one gets the focus their molecule deserves.

01

Principal-investigator oversight

Your study is designed and reviewed directly by leading experts — not delegated and forgotten.
02

Data integrity above volume

Rigorous controls, honest reporting, and reproducibility take priority over turnaround at any cost.
03

Biologically faithful models

We model the metabolic and stromal context of solid tumors so your data translates beyond the bench.
04

True scientific partnership

We engage with your hypothesis, interpret results with you, and help shape the next experiment.

Domain expertise

Where conventional screening falls short, our science begins.

Two decades navigating the tumor microenvironment and metabolic nuances that determine whether a therapeutic works in vivo.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma Solid tumor oncology Orthotopic & syngeneic models Obesity & metabolic disease Tumor immune microenvironment Desmoplastic stroma Translational pharmacology Therapeutics validation

Core facilities

Backed by UCLA's world-class core infrastructure.

As a laboratory embedded within UCLA and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, your study draws on an institution's worth of state-of-the-art shared resources — the same instrumentation that powers our published research, staffed by dedicated technical experts.

Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging

Preclinical molecular imaging under one roof — microPET/CT, optical bioluminescence and fluorescence, and other in vivo modalities that let us track tumor burden, metastatic spread, and pharmacodynamic response longitudinally in the same animal, rather than relying on terminal endpoints alone.

Flow Cytometry & Cell Sorting

Full-spectrum and high-parameter analyzers paired with high-speed FACS cell sorting, supporting deep immunophenotyping of the tumor microenvironment, rare-cell isolation, and downstream functional and molecular assays — the backbone of our immune and stromal characterization work.

Plus direct access to the wider UCLA shared-resource network:

Translational Pathology

Histology, IHC, and digital slide imaging for endpoint tissue analysis.

Genomics & Sequencing

Next-generation sequencing, expression profiling, and bioinformatics support.

Advanced Light Microscopy

Confocal and multiphoton imaging for high-resolution tissue and cell analysis.

Laboratory Animal Medicine

Fully accredited vivarium and veterinary support for rigorous in vivo studies.

Biostatistics & Data

Study-design and statistical expertise for powered, decision-grade results.

Leadership

Helmed by distinguished investigators.

Highly funded, groundbreaking researchers studying the intersection of obesity, metabolism, and pancreatic cancer progression.

Yaroslav Teper, PhD

Project Scientist

A translational pharmacologist who helped develop Metarrestin, a first-in-class inhibitor of the perinucleolar compartment that suppresses metastasis. He now drives the in vivo programs probing how obesity and metabolic dysregulation accelerate pancreatic cancer.

Full profile & publications →

Guido Eibl, MD

Principal Investigator

An internationally recognized investigator whose work first demonstrated, in animal models, that a high-fat, high-calorie diet accelerates pancreatic cancer development — establishing a causative link between obesity, inflammation, and tumor progression.