PhD, Colorado State University, Cellular and Molecular Biology (1992)
Postdoctoral Education:
Fellowship, University of Colorado Denver with Dr. Kathryn Horwitz
Research
Research Activities:
Member of the following Graduate programs: Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Reproductive Sciences, Biomedical Sciences and the Medical Scientist Training Program
The focus of the research in my laboratory is on steroid hormone receptor action and endocrine therapy in breast cancer.
We study the mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapy and how breast cancers progress to hormone independence.
Recently we have determined that microRNAs are differentially expressed in well-differentiated, hormone-dependent cancers versus less-differentiated, more aggressive and hormone independent carcinoma cells that have undergone epithelial to mesenchymal transition. We miRNA regulation of genes that control epithelial cell identity (differentiation state) and immune suppression in breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer.