Investigators

Summary

My long-term goal is to understand how perturbation of chromatin regulators disrupts the epigenome to affect fundamental epigenetically controlled processes. To address this question, I study genetic alterations in chromatin regulators that occur in sarcomas and other solid tumors. By combining my experience in pharmacology, genetics, chromatin biology, and sarcoma medical oncology, I am focused on addressing three major questions: 1) What are the effects of newly recognized cancer-associated histone mutations? 2) How do sarcoma-associated genetic alterations in chromatin regulators affect…

Summary

Yana G. Najjar, MD is a translational investigator and cutaneous oncologist at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, where she is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Clinical and Translational Research Center. Dr. Najjar specializes in the treatment of advanced melanoma, focusing on anti-PD1 resistant melanoma and rare melanoma subtypes. Using a bench-to-bedside approach, she has developed multiple investigator-initiated trials that aim to remodel melanoma tumor cell metabolism and hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment to overcome mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy. Her…

Summary

CENP-A is a heritable epigenetic mark that determines centromere identity and is essential for centromere function. Centromeres are the central genetic element responsible for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division, and as such, they are anticipated to be evolutionarily stable. How centromeres evolved to allow faithful chromosome inheritance on an evolutionary timescale despite their epigenetic maintenance is unclear. One of our interests is understanding whether CENP-A is capable of precisely and stably specifying human centromere position throughout cellular proliferation. To…

Summary

I am an assistant professor of radiology and the co-director of the preclinical in vivo imaging facility (IVIF) at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. I have expertise in molecular imaging (PET, SPECT, optical), organic synthesis, peptide synthesis, conjugation and radiochemistry, targeted radiotherapy (α and β), and animal model of cancer. My research focus is on the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging and targeted radiotherapy therapy. As the co-director of the IVIF I help investigators incorporate pre-clinical imaging to enhance their research through the…

Summary

The main interest of the Neumann laboratory is to expand our knowledge of cell signaling that is in part mediated by oxidation and reducing (redox) reactions as reactive oxygen species (ROS) deregulate the redox homeostasis and promote tumor formation by initiating an aberrant induction of signaling networks that cause tumorigenesis, including breast cancer. To investigate the specific mechanisms underlying redox-induced tumorigenesis, the Neumann laboratory focuses on the redox-induced posttranslational modifications (PTM) of protein cysteines, which are essential in cell signaling.…

Summary

Joseph T. Newsome is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Associate Director – Division of Laboratory Animal Resources at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the Director of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Animal Facility Shared Resource. He is a team member of the Cancer Virology Program. His current focus and expertise are in management, biosecurity, biocontainment, facility design and operations, and cancer modeling, immunology, and virology. He is involved in national and industry level organizations such as the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine,…

Summary

Dr. Nikiforov's research is focused on thyroid cancer genomics and mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangements and other mutations induced by ionizing radiation in thyroid cells and other cell types. Since 2000, Dr. Nikiforov's research activities have led to four scientific discoveries. These discoveries described below have resulted in more than 120 published papers and form the basis of Dr. Nikiforov's current work. 1.The discovery that genes involved in recurrent chromosomal rearrangements in cancer cells are localized in proximity to each other in the nuclei of normal human cells at the…

Summary

Dr. Marci Lee Nilsen is a nurse scientist dedicated to advancing research in the realm of head and neck cancer survivorship. Her research program is centered on enhancing the quality of life and overall survival of individuals within this population by characterizing predictors and trajectories of symptoms and treatment-related effects, with a specific emphasis on pain, musculoskeletal disorders, and cognition. Dr. Nilsen’s current National Cancer Institute MERIT grant focuses on characterizing trajectories of radiation-induced fibrosis, co-occurring treatment effects, and the…