Cancer Research Interest Group members
Carolyn M. Klinge, Ph.D.
Cancer Research Interest Group Leader
Professor
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics
Dr. Klinge’s research interests include mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapies targeting estrogen receptor in breast cancer and the impact of environmental contaminants on the epitranscriptome and how these changes relate to NAFLD.
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Becky Antle, Ph.D., MSSW, LMFT
Professor
Kent School of Social Work
University Scholar
Director, Center for Family and Community Well-Being
Dr. Antle’s research interests center around implementation science across a broad range of substantive areas, as well as a specific focus on family relationships including child welfare, interpersonal violence, relationship education, and the impact of medical and mental health issues on the family.
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Mayukh Banerjee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Chronic arsenic toxicity, mostly through drinking of contaminated groundwater, is a global issue affecting about 225 million people worldwide, leading to multiple cancer types. My laboratory is interested in dissecting the molecular mechanisms of arsenic induced skin carcinogenesis using cell line models. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how arsenite can displace zinc from zinc finger proteins, affecting multiple cellular processes of vital importance thereby contributing to cancer development. We are also interested in exploring if zinc supplementation can prevent the arsenic binding to zinc finger motifs resulting in maintenance of proper function of these proteins and the pathways they are involved in.
Natalie DuPré, ScD
Assistant Professor
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health
As a cancer epidemiologist, I investigate the role of environmental factors and their biological mechanisms that influence carcinogenesis and cancer progression in humans by combining expertise across cancer, environmental and molecular epidemiology. My particular research interests are in exposures to ambient pollutants, natural vegetation, radon and environmental chemicals and variation in breast cancer incidence, breast cancer survival, mammographic density, and gene expression
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Lesley Harris, MSW, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Kent School of Social Work
Dr. Harris's research interests are to improve and extend intervention strategies for older adults who have been impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic
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David W. Hein, Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman
Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Peter K. Knoefel Endowed Chair of Pharmacology
Distinguished University Scholar
Research program includes studies of the molecular epidemiology of cancer susceptibility, pharmacogenetics, genomics, personalized medicine, and functional genomics. I serve as leader in four National Institutes of Health-funded training programs: University of Louisville Cancer Education Program funded by the National Cancer Institute; University of Louisville pre- and post-doctoral training program in environmental health sciences funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS); University of Louisville Superfund Research Center Training Core funded by NIEHS; and University of Louisville Hepatobiology and Toxicology COBRE Faculty Career Development Program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
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Venkatakrishna Jala, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Dr. Jala has interest research in understanding the role of Gut microbiota and Microbial Metabolites in regulating inflammation and gut barrier function in gastro-intestinal related disorders.
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Maiying Kong, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics
Dr. Kong’s research has been oriented in two areas: developing statistical methods to analyze data resulting from medical research, and applying the methods to analyze data to help clinicians and basic scientists to investigate their scientific questions. Dr. Kong’s research areas include comparing effectiveness of different treatments and procedures based on observational data; developing analytic methods for longitudinal studies and spatiotemporal data; and designing statistical methods for clinical studies. Dr. Kong is interested in investigating the impact of different environmental exposures on health outcomes.
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J. Calvin Kouokam, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Dr. Kouokam's laboratory currently explores the role of inflammation in chromium induced carcinogenesis. In addition, we are developing nature products for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases
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Juw Won Park, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
KY INBRE Bioinformatics Core
Dr. Park’s research focuses on the analysis of alternative mRNA splicing and its regulation in eukaryotic cells using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and related genomic technologies, including their biological applications. He also develops novel computational and statistical methods for analysis of massive genome and transcriptome data.
Melissa Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics
Director, UofL Sequencing Technology Center
University of Louisville
Dr. Smith’s research focuses on the development of novel targeted genomics methods that leverage single molecule sequencing methods to deconvolute and characterize complex regions of mammalian genomes. In relation to projects that apply to environmental health science, Dr. Smith’s lab is currently developing several methods to investigate genetic and epigenomic polymorphism in mitochondrial genomes, direct measures of epitranscriptomic modifications (e.g., methyl-6-adenosine on RNA), as well as targeted long-read sequencing methods to characterize alternative splicing and gene fusions. Environmental exposures to hard metals, toxins, alcohol, and other proinflammatory stimuli are known to impact host metabolism, RNA biology and gene regulation.
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J. Christopher States, Ph.D.
Professor
Distinguished University Scholar
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Vice Chair for Research
Associate Dean for Research
Director, Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences
Dr. States research interest are concentrated on arsenic toxicology, with a current focus on dysregulation of RNA metabolism in arsenic-induced skin cancer. Previously investigated DNA damage and mutagenesis by metabolically activated chemical carcinogens, and characterized molecular genetics of nucleotide excision repair in humans.
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Sandra Wise, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Dr. Wise's research interests include how environmental chemicals, such as hexavalent chromium, depleted uranium and other metals, can transform normal cells into cancer cells. These studies have focused on DNA repair deficiency and its impact on chromosome instability as a driving mechanism to cellular transformation and the development of disease. Currently, she is pursuing how cells exposed to these chemicals induce DNA and chromosomal damage yet are able to survive and evade the normal cell death pathways that should occur in order to protect the organism from disease.
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Qunwei Zhang Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
The major interest of my laboratory is particle toxicology, especially nanotoxicology, genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of various particles including ambient particulate matter, cigarette smoke extract, and engineered metal nanoparticles. Currently, my laboratory is investigating the mechanisms underlying metal nanoparticle-related lung injury, inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer.
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