Education:

• Lugwig Maximilians University of Munich, Ph.D., 1991

Department: Pharmacology
Research Interests:

Unconventional cyclin function, cell cycle regulation

Research Summary:

Insight into the cell cycle regulatory proteins that restrict cellular proliferation and promote differentiation is essential for understanding the processes that go awry in neoplastic and developmental diseases. We are investigating the contributions of the novel "G" family of unconventional cyclins to growth control, with a current emphasis on cyclin G2. We and others found that cyclin G2 levels are significantly upregulated in cells responding to diverse cell cycle-inhibitory signals (e.g. blockade of growth factor signaling, induction of oxidative and genotoxic stress, cellular differentiation), but downregulated upon induction of pro-growth mitogenic signals (e.g. estrogen, insulin, Shh, IL-4, LPS). Current research projects in the laboratory are focused on defining the regulation and function of cyclin G2 during: 1) cellular responses to therapeutics-induced inhibition of endocrine and growth factor signaling pathways in breast cancers and B cell lymphomas, 2) cellular responses to genotoxic stress and DNA damaging cancer therapeutics, and 3) the differentiation and post-mitotic growth of neurons.

Funding Sources: USAMRMC, CDMRP(DOD)
PubMed listing