Cell Regulation

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Steven A. Rosenzweig, Ph.D. - Division Director

Cell regulation encompasses all the functions cells carry out to maintain homeostasis, in particular their responses to extracellular signals (hormones, neurotransmitters, etc.) and how they produce an intracellular response. In addition to these endogenous agents, many drugs and environmental agents use these same mechanisms to produce their most important effects. Numerous research opportunities exist within this program ranging from studies exploring new cell signaling mechanisms, to those examining basic the aberrant signaling mechanisms associated with disease states. Significantly, many of the recent breakthroughs in drug development stem from basic studies on signaling molecules.

The Cell Regulation program is comprised of over 30 faculty members whose research interests and expertise is related to cell regulation. In addition to a track-specific Cell Regulation Journal Club, advanced courses in Cell Signaling are available to students who select this track as their major emphasis.

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Cell Regulation Course Descriptions

MCBP-725D Topics in Cancer Research
Two presentation formats will be used for the course. Initially, a faculty member will introduce and direct all students in the discussion of selected literature concerning a single topic. Subsequent topics will be presented by individual students in Journal Club style. Students will present selected papers 2 times during the course and will be active discussants when other students are presenting.
Topics to be covered include:

Tumor Suppressor Genes Genomic Instability Metastasis ECM and Tumor Invasion Cell Adhesion Signal Transduction Telomerase

Mismatch Repair Apoptosis Angiogenesis Immune Evasion and Tumor Immunology Transforming Growth Factor Beta Drug Resistance Transgenic and Knockout Analysis

Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 2 (Pass/Fail)
Schweinfest and Watson

MBIM-782 Tumor Immunology & Immunotherapy
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3
Tomlinson and Sebastiano Gattoni-Celli

MCBP-742 Advanced topics in Cell Signaling
The vast majority of human diseases involve defects in cellular communication and therapeutic intervention often targets molecules involved in cell signaling. This course will dissect signaling cascades and their alterations in disease states addressing cutting edge issues. The course will be offered each Fall with emphasis on cell signaling defects/mutations which may lead to cancer. Course participants will be expected to review the current literature to understand how signaling events are affected and how signaling dysfunction contributes to the onset or progression of the disease and how signaling events might be targeted in a therapeutic attack on the disease. Guest faculty will be invited to describe their research on cell signalling. Oral presentations by course participants will be required. The course is intended for advanced graduate and postgraduate students.
Prerequisites: None
Credits: 3
Kurtz

Cell Regulation Faculty

John E. Baatz, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology Non-receptor mediated endocytic mechanisms Craig Beeson, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Regulation of bioenergetics Narayan R. Bhat, Ph.D. Professor Department of Neurology Glial cell differentiation and myelinogenesis; MAP Kinases in neurodevelopmental and neuroinflammatory cell signaling Amy Bradshaw, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Role of Extracellular Matrix in the Regulation of Cell Behavior Maria G. Buse, M.D. Professor, Division of Endocrinology Hormonal and metabolic regulation, the action of insulin, diabetes, mechanisms of insulin resistance Lee Chao, Ph.D. Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Eukaryotic gene structure, function, regulation, and evolution Kenneth D. Chavin, M.D., Ph.D. Professor Department of Surgery Liver transplantation, liver regeneration, and mitochondrial uncoupling proteins Craig Crosson, Ph.D. Professor and Vice Chairman for Research Department of Ophthalmology Cell signaling system associated with growth factors and GPCR Lisa Cunningham , Ph.D. Assistant Professor Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Neuroscience and cellular biology of stress responses and apoptosis in the inner ear Christopher J. Drake, Ph.D. Professor Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy The role of receptor tyrosine kinase (VEGF/VEGF receptors, HGF/C-met receptor) and integrin mediate signaling in vascular morphogenesis Carol Eisenberg, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy Directing cell phenotypes Leonard M. Eisenberg, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy The molecular mechanisms that control the phenotypic direction of differentiating stem cells Weiman Fan, M.D., M.P.H. Professor Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Cell growth regulation, cellular aging, and apoptosis Andrew Gelasco, Ph.D. Assitant Professor Redox signaling in mesangial cells. Receptor phosphorylation and desensitization Gary Gilkeson, M.D. Professor Division of Rheumatology Control of the inflammatory response Robert G. Gourdie, Ph.D. Professor Cell Biology & Anatomy Cell communication and adhesion Yusuf A. Hannun, M.D. Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor and Chairman Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lipid signaling/apoptosis Stanley R. Hoffman, Ph.D. Professor Rheumatology/Immunology Signaling mechanisms induced by specific ECM proteins and MMP's L. Lyndon Key, Ph.D. Professor and Director Pediatric Endocrinology Modification of osteoclastic bone resorption by cytokines Masahiro Kono, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Ophthalmology Structure and Function of G protein-coupled receptors Yiannis Koutalos Associate Professor Department of Ophthalmology Sensory signal transduction and cell biology of visual receptor neurons; regulation of cell metabolism Steven W. Kubalak, Ph.D. Associate Professor Cell Biology & Anatomy Factors affecting apoptosis of mesenchymal tissues Dhandapani Kuppuswamy, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology Mechanism of focal complex formation following integrin activation and the role of this complex in altering cell architecture and survival

Donald R. Menick, Ph.D. Professor Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology Signal transduction pathways mediating gene expression Thomas A. Morinelli, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Medicine/Nephrology G Protein-Coupled Receptor Trafficking Robin C. Muise-Helmericks, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Cell Biology and Anatomy Hollings Cancer Institute Role of the Ets family of transcription factors in angiogenesis and lymphoid development Lina M. Obeid, M.D. Professor Medicine Role of sphingolipid mediators in apoptosis and senescence Besim Ogretmen, Ph.D. Professor Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Regulation of cell growth by novel ceramide and reulation of telomerase Swapan K. Ray, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Neurology involvement of calpain, a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, in the molecular mechanisms of cell death in disorders and diseases of the central nervous system Baerbel Rohrer, Ph.D. Associate Professor Opthalmology Retinal development and genetics of retinal degeneration Steven A. Rosenzweig, Ph.D. Professor Cell and Molecular Pharmacology Tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, hypoxia-inducible factor, IGF-binding proteins, receptor tyrosine kinases, and protein:protein interactions Rick G. Schnellmann, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Signaling pathways of cell injury, death (apoptosis and necrosis) in epithelial and cancer cells, and regeneration of epithelial cells following injury Clifford W. Schweinfest, Ph.D. Professor Department of Experimental Oncology Signal Transduction pathways in colorectal cancer Adam J. Smolka, Ph.D. Professor Department of Medicine Host/pathogen interactions Bryan Toole , Ph.D. Professor Cell Biology and Anatomy Co-regulation of ErbB2, Wnt and other signaling pathways by hyaluronan and emmprin; hyaluronan-induced signaling in cell senescence Maria Trojanowska, Ph.D. Professor Rheumatology/Immunology Regulation of ECM and mechanism of fibrosis William R. Tyor, M.D. Professor Department of Neurology Regulation of monocyte infection with HIV Thomas Walle, Ph.D. Professor Professor of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology Carcinogenesis: prevention and toxicology Michael J. Wargovich, Ph.D. Professor Cell and Molecular Pharmacology Cell and Molecular Mechanisms of action Dennis K. Watson, Ph.D. Professor Laboratory of Cancer Genomics Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation Xuejun Wen, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Cell Biology and Anatomy Stem cell differentiation under environmental cues

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