Mohammad Athar, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Athar's research is exploring novel approaches to the chemoprevention of skin cancer and the possibility that certain drugs and chemicals protect against sunburn and skin damage that leads to cancer. These agents have the potential to revolutionize approaches to reducing the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer, the most common form of human malignancy. His laboratory is also focusing on environmentally-induced skin cancer, particularly the effects of solar ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) on the cell cycle and skin carcinogenesis. He is also working to identify novel anticarcinogenic agents that can be employed for skin cancer chemoprevention. Additional studies are in progress to define the anticarcinogenic effects of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX 2) inhibitors and novel retinoids in skin.
David R. Bickers, M.D., Carl Truman Nelson Professor and Chairman
Dr. Bickers has devoted a major part of his research career to studying the role of exposure to environmental carcinogens on the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Dr. Bickers is also conducting clinical trials studying chemoprevention in patients with the dominantly inherited disorder known as the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS). Patients with this dominantly inherited disease are characterized by the premature development of multiple BCCs and numerous other abnormalities affecting bony structures and connective tissue.
Julide Tok-Celebi, M.D., Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Dr. Tok's research focuses on the genetic basis of atypical mole syndrome. Dr. Tok's goal is to study the genetic basis of AMS by ascertaining families with this disorder, and identifying a locus for AMS through linkage analysis, and ultimately identifying a candidate gene for AMS.
Angela M. Christiano, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Dermatology
(in Dermatology and Genetics and Development)
The major focus of Dr. Christiano's research is the study of inherited skin and hair disorders in humans, through a classical genetic approach including identification and phenotyping of disease families, genetic linkage, gene discovery and mutation analysis, and most recently, functional studies relating these findings back to basic questions in epidermal biology. Molecular aspects of the cutaneous basement membrane zone, adhesion junctions including hemidesmosomes and desmosomes, and epidermal appendages such as hair and teeth are major basic science interests in her laboratory. A long-range goal of the research is to develop rationally designed genetic therapies for skin and hair diseases through understanding the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms.
Karima Djabali, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Epithelial Cell Biology
Dr. Djabali's laboratory is addressing the pathophysiological mechanisms of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) by combining molecular, cellular and proteomic studies. HGPS (OMIM 176670) is a rare disorder that is characterized by accelerated aging and early death within the second decade of life. This work will provide the basis for further investigation of the pathways whereby the lamin A gene defect influences this disease as well as its implication in other laminopathies. Based on the skin and the hair loss phenotype of HGPS patients, the skin will serve as a model system to define the lamin A function(s) in the skin biology.
Soosan Ghazizadeh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cutaneous Biology
Dr. Ghazizadeh's research focuses on therapeutic gene transfer to skin epithelial stem cells for the treatment of inherited disorders. She is currently developing strategies for in vivo expansion of gene-modified stem cells. A second line of her research has focused on understanding host immune responses when a neoantigen is expressed in skin. It is expected that the development of new strategies to expand genetically modified stem cells in vivo, and to circumvent destructive immune responses will overcome the major obstacles to clinical applications of cutaneous gene therapy.
Arianna L. Kim, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist
Dr. Kim's research focuses on cell growth regulators that are potential targets for UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis. UVB induces genotoxic/cellular stress leading to dysregulation of cell cycle, which is emerging as a target for effective cancer treatment option. She is currently studying the mechanism of the senescence pathway in cancer cells, and determining the role of senescent cells in tumor growth.
Rebecca Morris, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Cutaneous Biology (in Dermatology) (in Pathology)
Dr. Morris' interests and research focus on the epidermal and hair follicle stem cells of the skin and their role as target cells for carcinogens, ultraviolet light, and tumor promoters. One major effort in the lab is the identification and isolation of epidermal stem cells and target cells by means of a novel application of selection procedures. Towards this goal, we have recently determined that living hair follicle stem cells can be selected by their expression of the blood stem /progenitor marker, CD34.
David M. Owens, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Epithelial Cell Biology
The overall focus of Dr. Owens' laboratory is to determine the contributions of stem cells and differentiated cells to the development of epidermal squamous cancer. Three specific areas of investigation include: i) defining the mechanism of how aberrant expression of the a6b4 integrin receptor can disrupt TGF-b mediated growth inhibition thereby altering the epidermal tumor microenvironment and stimulating tumor cell progression and metastasis; ii) identifying and characterizing subpopulations of clonogenic, multipotent stem cells in normal and malignant epidermis in order to determine the significance of target cell phenotype in the formation of epidermal squamous cancers; and iii) investigating the role of L-3-phosphoserine phosphatase in UV-induced keratinocyte apoptosis and carcinogenesis.
Andrei Panteleyev, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cutaneous Biology
The major scientific interest of Dr. Panteleyev relates to understanding the mechanisms of hair growth control. His current research projects are directed at defining factors that govern normal hair growth, cyclic transformation of hair follicles, and determining the reasons for hair loss in different pathological conditions in humans and laboratory animals.
Srikala Raghavan, Assistant Professor of Epithelial Cell Biology,
Center for Oral and Mucosal Biology
Dr. Raghavan's research focuses on understanding the function of integrins in skin and oral epithelia. She is currently studying the role of ?ü1 containing integrins in basement membrane (BM) maintenance and assembly using conditional gene ablation as well as cells in culture. Intact BM is important not only in the context of normal tissue homeostasis but also in understanding how tumor cells are able to disrupt the BM and metastasize.