Dr. Timar has devoted his entire carrier to metastasis research and has co-authored over 200 international publications in this field. He is a member of the Editorial Boards of Clinical & Experimental Metastasis and Cancer and Metastasis Reviews and founder and co-Editor-in-Chief of Pathology & Oncology Research.

His group identified the importance of cell surface heparan suphates in shaping metastatic potential of human melanoma. On the other hand, they demonstrated that heparin and its low molecular weight derivatives have specific antimigratory and antimetastatic effects in various mouse and human metastasis models. This activity was found to be connected to very small sulphated oligosaccharide derivatives. His studies on proteoglycans revealed that syndecan-4 and CD44 have specific roles in metastatic progression of human cancers, especially melanoma. Furthermore, the CD44v3 variant, which is the only form carrying heparan sulfate was found to be involved in the migratory potential of human melanoma. In clinical samples CD44v3 expression was found to have a negative prognostic role in human melanoma.

His group was involved in the establishment of the concept of platelet-mimicry of cancer as part of the stemness program, which involved illegitimate expression of αIIb integrin chain and platelet 12-LOX enzyme in human melanoma. He was also involved in studies revealing specific signaling role for platelet 12-LOX in both β3-integrins and the AMF receptor in various human cancer types.

Furthermore, his group was involved in the establishment of the concept of alternative vascularization strategies of cancer beside neoangiogenesis, which have different roles in various forms of organ metastasis (ie., brain, liver, or lung) even in case of the same cancer type.

His recent studies have systematically analyzed the individual role of cancer infiltrating immune cells in the progression of human melanoma and head and neck cancer, establishing the fact that not only the presence and density but more importantly the functional activity of cytotoxic T cells and antigen presenting cells have a prognostic role, which could be important in planning novel immunotherapies. His current studies are focusing on the genes involved in metastatic progression of human melanoma, with the suggestion of a connection with IFN-resistance.