"Cardiac myocyte growth and death, transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of cell growth"

 

"My lab studies steroid hormone action in endocrine cancers. In particular, we focus on androgen and vitamin D regulation of oncogenesis in the prostate."

 

Our lab is oriented to discovery-based research on mechanisms of immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases and transplantations, as well as tumor-induced immune suppression. With advanced molecular biology tools, we strive to bridge genomic and genetic advances to immunobiology and immunotherapies in autoimmunity, transplantation and antitumor Immunity. Our current focus is on the quantitative interactions among various immune regulatory elements including CTLA4, Treg cells, and IDO.

 

 

Biomolecules and bionanotechnology

 

 

Mechanisms underlying the etiology of ER-negative vs ER-positive breast cancer and studies aimed at re-expressing ER in ER-negative tumors leading to clinical trials.

 

"Our lab is investigating methods to better detect and treat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. We are using molecular biology techniques to develop a simple and inexpensive early detection test and are investigating how the stem cell marker, CD44, is involved in HNSCC progression."

 

To understand the mechanisms of chromatin dynamics during DNA repair.

 

Dr. Hackam's research interests include cellular mechanisms of photoreceptor degeneration and survival; Signaling pathways regulating ocular tumorigenesis and tumor stem cell proliferation.

 

 

"The research in the laboratory focuses on the study of: (1) molecular pathways that regulate self-renewal, activation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors, (2) molecular pathways supporting self-renewal and differentiation of cancer stem cells, and (3) stem cell transformation and leukemogenesis."

 

 

Our laboratory uses advanced cell and molecular biology techniques and animal models to study skin related problems. We are specially interested in the function and mechanicsms involved in the epithelial extracellular matrix.

 

molecular mechanisms of control of breast cancer growth and malignant behavior

 

"My research interests include tumor angiogenesis, development of novel vascular targeted therapies for cancer, and identification of tumor and blood angiogenesis biomarkers that may serve as predictive or monitoring tools for cancer patients during treatment"

 

 

 

Modulation of cellular redox status to enhance activation of tumor suppressor pathways in cancer cells

 

Hedgehog Signaling in Development and Disease

 

"mTOR signaling, autophagy and drug resistance in lung cancer. The second project is on arginine deprivation as targeted therapy in tumors which do not express argininosuccinate synthetase."

 

Breast cancer, molecular mechanisms, molecular genetics, epidemiology, cell cycle, and estrogen receptors

 

"My research interests pertain to the role of the innate immune system, particularly of macrophages/monocytes, in the immune suppression observed in mice bearing advanced tumors. Peritoneal and tumor-associated macrophages and their precursors, monocytes in the circulation, represent and exhibit different levels of local and systemic immune suppression in the host. We have found that transcripition factors NFkB, STAT1 and STAT3 are differentially expressed in these cells, resulting in altered cell signaling pathways and cytokine gene expression patterns."

 

Ovarian cancer biology and early embryogenesis

 

DNA repair and mutagenesis, Fanconi anemia pathway of DNA repair.