The Keller Laboratory at cc-TDI: Jun 24, 2010

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Welcoming Audra

Our laboratory welcomes Audra Lee to our team of basic and translational scientists in the Keller lab at OHSU. Audra earned both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biology from Ball State University before becoming an important contributing scientist to the laboratory of Dr. Robert Wechsler-Reya, a colleague and one of the rising stars in childhood medulloblastoma research. In Rob's lab, Audra was first author on an important study on postnatal neural stem cells of the cerebellum published in Nature Neuroscience. Audra also has vital experience in the biotechnology field having worked at Zen Bio, Inc, in Research Triangle Park, NC. In her free time, Audra is an aspiring author and enjoys exploring the outdoors.
In our laboratory, Audra will work to further develop an exciting in ovo system for discovering drugs that inhibit metastasis which has been developed thus far by means of an Innovation Grant the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Welcome, Audra!

Welcoming Summer Student, Lauren Peterson

It is our pleasure to welcome Lauren to the lab team. Lauren will be researching and writing a manuscript on an important aspect of pediatric clinical research. This is a project for which her undergraduate studies and her social advocacy roles makes her especially qualified:

"I’ve grown up in eastern Washington and am attending Walla Walla University as a Humanities major with a Chemistry minor. I enjoy working with kids, whether it’s teaching swimming lessons or being a camp counselor. As well as working with kids, I enjoy writing and editing, which is why I am very excited to work on this writing project with Dr. Keller this summer. -- Lauren "

Welcoming Ken

We are pleased to welcome physician-scientist Dr. Ken Kikuchi as a postdoctoral fellow to our laboratory starting July 1. Ken Received his MD and PhD degrees from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in 1999 and 2008, respectively. For his PhD, Ken studied under Dr. Hajime Hosoi. The results of Ken's studies on the effects of the Pax3:Fkhr oncogene on alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma are published in the Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. Ken's long term career goal is to be the principal investigator of an independent academic research laboratory studying rhabdomyosarcoma biology. Welcome, Ken!

You Can Participate in our Novel Therapeutics Studies !

One would like to think that tangibly better treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and other childhood cancers can be found in a matter of years, instead of tens of years. Finding new treatments starts with research, perhaps even a new research approach to identifying effective new treatments. The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute focuses on finding molecules in childhood cancers that can be directly turned off or on by drugs so that the tumor stops growing. Behind our novel approach is the use of genetically-engineered mice. Our Pediatric Preclinical Testing Initiative uses mice modified from before birth so that at a certain age, and in a certain tissue, the same mutations found in a child’s cancer are activated in the mouse. These special mouse models of childhood cancer can be used to test a treatment to see whether the tumor growth and spread (metastasis) can be reversed. The specific aspect of these mice having normal immune systems is a real plus, too, because white blood cells play an important role in how tumors evolve and respond to therapy.

Our program is designed around community participation. Through the Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, you can contribute directly to this grass-roots initiative. Donations through small gifts or grants will assist in studying compounds that may be effective in treating such childhood cancers as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, or medulloblastoma (the alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma model was featured by Dr. Keller's long time collaborator and former mentor, 2007 Nobel laureate Mario Capecchi, in his Nobel Prize lecture {see 16 minutes onward}.)

For additional information regarding supporting this program please contact Charles Keller at charles@cc-tdi.org. Results obtained through these studies will be shared with the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, as well as the Children’s Oncology Group, which designs clinical trials for childhood cancer.