Cheryl L. Walker, Ph.D. 1984, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Department of Carcinogenesis My laboratory is located in Smithville, Texas, at UT Science Park -- Research Division. Interested in a rotation in Smithville or Bastrop? Free housing is available! Contact Information Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests:

• Genetic susceptibility to cancer
• Molecular mechanisms of tumor development
• Uterine and kidney cancer

Our studies on the molecular alterations that cause cancer focus on:

1) Understanding how exposure to environmental chemicals during development reprograms gene expression to promote cancer in adulthood

2) Translational research to identify alterations in cell signaling pathways in tumors that can be targeted therapeutically

3) Identifying how the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) tumor suppressor gene interacts with other important cellular proteins such as polycystin (involved in polycystic kidney disease, PKD), p27 (involved in cell cycle control) and ATM (important for the response to DNA damage).

Students rotating in the laboratory gain experience in the use of genetically engineered animal models, biochemical techniques such as western blotting, cell fractionation and in vitro kinase assays, cell biology techniques such as confocal microscopy and tissue culture, and molecular techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, siRNA knockdown and PCR.

Publications

Program Affiliation:

Program in Molecular Carcinogenesis