Dr. Kelekar’s laboratory is focused primarily on altered metabolism in cancer. The way metabolic pathways operate differently in malignant versus healthy tissue is proving to be one of the hallmarks of cancer. Kelekar initiated her work in cancer metabolism while studying the mechanisms underlying apoptosis, specifically the role of bcl-2 and other protein families in regulating apoptosis. Interactions between bcl-2 proteins and the bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only proteins are pivotal in regulating apoptosis. Dr. Kelekar’s group discovered that the BH3-only protein Noxa, a canonical death-promoting protein, for example, also plays a role in cancer cell metabolism.