Research Interest: Translational Medicine
Name | PhD Program | Research Interest | Publications |
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Johnson, Jaycee |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
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Coker, Katherine |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
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Law, Karissa |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
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Berger, Harrison |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
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Andersen, Sawyer |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
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Schrank, Travis PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
I am a surgeon-scientist specialized in head and neck cancers. My goal is to address translationalquestions with genomic data and bioinformatic methods, as well as benchtop experimentation. My clinical practice as a head and neck cancer surgeon also influences my research by helping me seek solutions to problems that will directly inform gaps in the current treatment protocols. I have developed a strong interest in HPV genomics as well as HPV/host genome integrations, as these factors are intrinsically related to transcriptional diversity and patient outcomes in HPV-associated head and neck cancers. Our work has helped to demonstrate that a novel mechanism of HPV-mediated oncogenesis requiring NF-kB activation is present in nearly 50% of oropharyngeal tumors. In this vein, we are aggressively investigating the cellular interplay between the NF-kB pathway and persistent HPV infection, tumor radiation response, NRF2 signaling, and more. Another outgrowth of this work has been investigating APOBEC3B and its non-canonical roles in regulating transcription. Our preliminary work has demonstrated that APOBEC3B has surprisingly strong transcriptional effects in HPV+ HNSCC cells and may promote oncogenesis and tumor maintenance by suppressing the innate immune response and influencing the HPV viral lifecycle. Our group also have a strong interest in translational genomic studies. Our group is working to develop methods that will make gene expression-based biomarkers more successful in the clinic, as well as studying many aspects of genomic alterations that contribute to the development of squamous cell carcinomas. |
Chung, Kay WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
The Chung lab is engineering immune cells, particularly T cells, to achieve maximum therapeutic efficacy at the right place and timing. We explore the crossroads of synthetic biology, immunology, and cancer biology. Particularly, we are employing protein engineering, next-gen sequencing, CRISPR screening, and bioinformatics to achieve our objectives: (1) Combinatorial recipes of transcription factors for T cell programming. (2) Technologies for temporal regulation and/or rewiring of tumor and immune signal activation (chemokine, nuclear, inhibitor receptors). (3) Synthetic oncolytic virus for engineering tumor-T cell crosstalk. |
Corteselli, Elizabeth PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Dr. Corteselli’s research aims to uncover the mechanisms by which exposure to air pollutants causes lung injury. Her lab uses advanced in vitro models, including lung organoids and precision cut lung slices, to investigate the effects of inhaled toxicants on airway epithelial cell function, with a focus on redox homeostasis and signaling. |
Yates, Melinda PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Our translational research lab is focused on the earliest changes that occur in the uterus (endometrium) during cancer development related to obesity and hereditary DNA repair defects. We use preclinical tools (rodents, organoids, and cell lines) to probe mechanisms of endometrial cancer pathogenesis, in parallel with human tissue studies. Our overall goal is to understand how environmental factors, including obesity, hormones, and other exposures, influence endometrial cancer development and disparities so that we can use pharmacologic agents to prevent or reverse cancer development. |
van Duin, David WEBSITE |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
I am a clinical/translational researcher in Infectious Diseases. I am the Director of the Immunocompromised Host Program – which provides ID care to patients with transplants, malignancies, and burns. My primary research interests are antibacterial resistance in gram-negative bacilli, and infections in vulnerable patients. I am the PI for the Carbapenem Resistance Consortium for Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae (CRACKLE) and PI for the Multi-Drug Resistant Organism (MDRO) Network. I am also supported by NIAID to evaluate community origins of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. |