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Faculty Investigators
Celia Chao, M.D.
The
role of gut peptide hormone bombesin in breast cancer.
Xiaodong Cheng,
Ph.D.
The major research focus in our
laboratory is function and regulation of protein kinases and small GTPases and their roles in
cancers. We are also conducting study of the molecular mechanism of ovarian cell transformation
and tumorgenesis using a genetically defined ovarian cancer model and functional proteomics
approaches.
Dai Chung, M.D.
Our ongoing projects include (1)
characterizing expression of GRP and GRP-R in various clinical stages of neuroblastomas, (2)
determining mechanisms involved in the regulation of GRP-R gene and protein expression, and (3)
identifying the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in GRP-induced proliferation of
neuroblastomas.
Jianli Dong, M.D., Ph.D.
RAS/BRAF/MEK/ERK and p16/CDK/RB signaling pathways in
cancer biology and Molecular Diagnostics.
Cornelis
Elferink, Ph.D.
The long-term research interest in the laboratory is to
understand precisely how AhR signaling regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis, and by
inference, identify the molecular basis for dioxin-induced toxicity.
Lisa Elferink,
Ph.D.
Our research program focuses on
understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms linking membrane trafficking with
receptor-signaling. Our goal is to identify novel targets for drug development aimed at
treating human diseases involving aberrant receptor signaling in vivo.
B.
Mark Evers, M.D.
Our studies are focused on the delineation of signaling
pathways regulating intestinal cell differentiation. Recent findings identify a critical
role for the PI3-kinase/Akt/GSK-3 pathway in intestinal differentiation/proliferation and the
activation of downstream molecular targets.
Miriam Falzon, Ph.D.
Cancer Pharmacology
Tianyan Gao, Ph.D.
The research focus of my lab is to understand the
molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of PHLPP and to elucidate the role of PHLPP in
the tumorigenesis process.
Mark R. Hellmich, Ph.D.
My major research interest is in the elucidation of
signaling pathways regulated by heptahelical
G-protein linked peptide hormone receptors of gastrointestinal tracts, specifically those
pathways coupled to the bombesin and gastrin family of receptors.
Jianhang Jia, Ph.D.
The objective of the research in Dr. Jia's laboratory is to
elucidate the mechanisms by which Hedgehog signal is transduced. Studies on the components of
the Hh signaling pathway may provide new avenues for developing diagnostic tools and
therapeutic treatment of cancers which associate with dysregulation of Hh signaling.
Stanley M. Lemon, M.D.
Hepatitis A and C, infectious diseases, molecular
virology, vaccine development.
Chunming Liu, Ph.D.
Dr. Liu's Lab studies the molecular mechanism of
Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and JAK/STAT signaling, and the role of these signaling pathways in
development, oncogenesis and stem cell self-renewal.
Luis A. Martinez,
Ph.D.
My lab is interested in determining the underlying
mechanism(s) for mtp53’s oncogenic activity. The long-term aim of the lab is to elucidate the critical
functions mutant p53 utilizes to promote cancer development, in order to generate new targets
for therapeutic intervention.
Amarnath Natarajan, Ph.D.
Our research interest focuses on the use of small molecules to perturb phospho-specific protein-protein interactions as a first step towards understanding how cells exploit these interactions in signal transduction.
Kathleen O'Connor, Ph.D.
Dr. O'Connor's lab studies the role of integrin
extracellular matrix receptors, cAMP/PKA and the Rho family of small GTPases in the migration
of invasive carcinoma cells from breast, colon and pancreatic cancers.
Vicente Resto, M.D., Ph.D.
Tumors that spread from their original sites to lymph
nodes are often more aggressive and least responsive to therapy. Dr. Resto is investigating how
head and neck tumors metastasize to lymph nodes. He will focus on identifying glycoproteins on
the surface of tumor cells that interact with proteins on lymphocytes (cells found in the lymph
nodes), and then determine whether expression of these glycoproteins correlates with lymph node
metastasis and clinical outcomes in patients.
Sarita K. Sastry, Ph.D.
My lab studies the role of protein tyrosine phosphatase in
controlling cell migration. My long-term goal is to understand their function and regulation
during tumor cell invasion and tumor angiogenesis.
E. Brad Thompson, M.D.
This laboratory has a longstanding interest in the
cellular and molecular actions of steroids, especially glucocorticoids and oxysterols. The lab
has a record of leadership in this field and is actively pursuing several aspects of this work:
Glucocorticoid actions on leukemic cells; Structural studies of the glucocorticoid receptor;
and Use of the glucocorticoid receptor gene fragment to cause cell death in the absence of
steroid.
Maki Wakamiya, Ph.D.
Transgenic Mouse Core Facility Director.
Heidi L. Weiss, Ph.D.
Director, Biostatistics Shared Resource Facility
Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health.
Jingwu Xie, Ph.D.
The main focus in Dr. Xie's laboratory is to investigate
genetic alterations of cancer, particularly the hedgehog signaling transduction pathway, and
its role in the development of cancer.
Binhua P. Zhou, MD., Ph.D.
Metastasis, the spread of cells from a primary tumor to distant
sites, is the main cause of death in patients with cancer. Our long-term goal is to eliminate
the incidence of cancer metastasis by understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the
initial step of metastasis.
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Last reviewed: November 5, 2008.