Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2012

Mentor:                       John M. Abrams, Ph.D.
Department:               Cell Biology
Room number:           K2.216
Mail Code:                 9039
Phone number:          214-648-9226
E-mail:                        john.abrams@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title:                Programmed Cell Death / p53 Regulatory Network

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):      

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):      

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)

Basic research

Brief Description of Project:

My lab explores two biomedical themes.  One series of projects probes molecular networks that regulate cell death in vivo through exploration anddiscovery of relevant genetic determinants.  We examine gene-directed programs that specify programmed and unprogrammed cell death.  Our approaches primarily include whole animal screens and high throughput gene silencing platforms in the Drosophila model.  A second organizing theme is designed toilluminate functional principles underlying noncanonical transcription, genome organization and ‘noncoding’ RNAs.  Our focus for these studies examines activity in the p53 regulatory network, which is deranged in most human cancers.  For more information, please see: http://www4.utsouthwestern.edu/abramslab/research.htm

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

N/A