Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2010

Mentor: James Amatruda, MD
Department: Pediatrics
Room number: ND3.120C
Mail Code: 8534
Phone number: 8-1645
E-mail: james.amatruda@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Role of the BMP Pathway in Germ Cell Tumors

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): APN 2007-0228

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)

Brief Description of Project: The etiology of germ cell tumors is unknown. Our laboratory has identified a strain of zebrafish that develops germ cell tumors owing to defects in the cell-surfacr receptor that mediates BMP signalling in germ cells. In this project, we will examine how perturbations in other components of the pathway affect the development of tumors in the zebrafish mutant.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
Summer research mentor:
2008 Danielle Moyé and David Zhang
2009 Kimbia Arno and Nicole Ketring