Philip N. Tsichlis, MD Director, Molecular Oncology Research Institute 617-636-6111 Philip Tsichlis MD, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece Postdoctoral Training, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA My laboratory uses insertional mutagenesis and other genetic strategies to identify genes that are involved in oncogenesis, or regulate phenotypic changes in tumor cells. Genes identified via these strategies are used as probes to explore function from the molecular to the animal level. Some of the genes we have identified and exploited to date include Akt1, Tpl2, Gfi-1 and Gfi-1B. Our work highlights the value of genetic studies in animal models for understanding the molecular basis of cancer and other diseases in humans.

Ling Chen, MD Visiting Scholar MD, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PRC My research centers on understanding the ways in which post-translational modification of Akt regulate its function.

Elizabeth DeRiso, BS PhD Student in Immunology BS, Biology, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC My project focuses on studying signaling pathways of the AKT 1 and AKT2 isoforms that either promote or inhibit an inflammatory response, and seeks to understand how that response influences tumor growth.

Scott Ezell, BS PhD Student in Biochemistry BS, Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK Toll-like receptor signaling mediates the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages to endotoxins. The serine/threonine kinase Akt limits this response to prevent toxic shock. We are investigating the mechanism of this novel function of Akt.

Filippos Kottakis, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow 617-636-6153 Filippos Kottakis PhD, Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece My experiments are focused on epigenetic regulation and cancer. I am also interested in the way epigenetics regulates development and how these pathways are dysregulated in disease.

Changchuin Mao, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow 617-636-6153 Changchuin Mao PhD, Immunology, Sackler School, Tufts, Boston, MA I am focusing on the role of the three Akt isoforms in T cell development and T cell function. I am using transgenic mice expressing constitutively active Akt in T cells from a proximal Lck promoter construct and analyzing the effect of expression on the T cell lineage. I am also conducting similar studies using the Akt1, Akt2 and Akt3 knockout mice developed in the Tschlis laboratory.

Ioannis Sanidas, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow 617-636-6153 Ioannis Sanidas PhD, Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece I am studying the histone H3 demethylase Ndy1/KDM2B with particular emphasis on the way this molecule influences cell cycle regulation and differentiation.

Oksana Serebrennikova, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow 617-636-6153 Oksana Serebrennikova PhD, Microbiology, Anti-Plague Institute Microbe, Saratov, Russia My research focuses on the role of Tpl2 in the regulation of gene expression in macrophages. In addition, I am investigating the role of Tpl2 in tumor induction by a variety of oncogenic signals. My studies provide evidence for a role of the innate and adaptive immunity in oncogenesis.

Zhu Shen, MD, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Zhu Shen MD, PhD, Dermatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, PRC My research focuses on post-translational modification of Akt2. I am particularly interested in the way ubiquitination influences the stability and activity of the molecule.