UNC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
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Graduates of the Program in Molecular and Cellular Pathology by Year 2001-Present

2007 Michael Altenburg, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Atherosclerotic Mechanisms of Apolipoprotein E Isoforms Advisor: Nobuyo Maeda Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email: michael.altenburg@pathology.unc.edu Joshua M. Astern, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Myeloperoxidase in Vascular Disease and Autoimmunity Advisor: Ronald J. Falk Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email: joshua.astern@pathology.unc.edu Lea M. Beaulieu, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Role of the Protein C System in Breast Cancer Cell Invasion and Endothelial Cell Angiogenesis Advisor: Frank C. Church Current Position:  Postdoctoral Fellow, Multidisciplinary Training in Cardiovascular Research at the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Dept of Medicine, School of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA Email:  lmb@bu.edu D. Hunter Best, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Liver Regeneration by Small Hepatocyte-like Progenitor Cells After Hepatotoxic and Necrotic Injury in Fischer 344 Rats  Advisor: William B. Coleman Current Position:  Clinical Fellow, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN Email: hunter.best@vanderbilt.edu Jessica N. DelBove, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Characterization of the Tumor Suppressor Capabilities of SWI/SNF Complex Member BAF155 in Cancer Cell Lines and Cooperation of SNF5 and p53 Pathways Advisor: Bernard E. Weissman Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email: jessica.delbove@pathology.unc.edu Laura A. DiMichele, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Focal Adhesion Kinase in Cardiac Development and Disease  Advisor: Joan M. Taylor Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email:  laura.dimichele@pathology.unc.edu Jennifer Bushman Gilner, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Enrichment of Therapeutic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Populations From Embryonic Stem Cells Advisor: Suzanne Kirby Current Position:  Medical Student, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email:  jennifer.gilner@pathology.unc.edu Jennifer E. Jahn, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Identification of Synaptotagmin XIII as a Liver Tumor Suppressor Gene Advisor: William B. Coleman Current Position:  Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC Email: jahnj@musc.edu Terrence D. Lewis, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Mechanisms of Estrogen Sensitivity in the Human Endometrium Advisor: David G. Kaufman Current Position:  Medical Student, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington DC Email:  tdlewis@gwu.edu Liisa Sundberg Smith, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  A Role for Focal Adhesion Kinase in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Differentiation Advisor: Joan M. Taylor Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email:  liisa.smith@pathology.unc.edu

2005 Jingjing Chai, Ph.D.Dissertation title:  Identification of the Signal Transduction Pathway and Functional Domains of hSNF5 in Human Rhabdoid Tumor Cell Line and Mouse Rhabdoid Tumors Advisor: Bernard E. Weissman Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School fo Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email: jingjing.chai@pathology.unc.edu Danny R. Gray, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Effects of Androgen Deprivation on the Human Prostate Microenvironment Advisor: Gary J. Smith Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Molecular and Vascular Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Email: dgray@bidmc.harvard.edu Timothy P. Heffernan, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Mechanisms of S Checkpoint Function in Human Cells Advisor: William K. Kaufmann Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Email:  timothy.heffernan@cbrc2.mgh.harvard.edu Charlotte A. Lanteri, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Mechanisms of Uptake and Action of DB75 [2,5-bis(4-amidinophenyl)furan] in African Trypanosomes Advisor: Richard R. Tidwell Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Microbiology, Walter Reed Army Hospital, Silver Spring, MD Email:  charlotte.lanteri@pathology.unc.edu Julie L. Ryan, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Prevalence of Epstein-Barr Virus in Gastric Mucosa and Influences on Selected Gene Expression in Gastric Carcinoma Advisor: Margaret L. Gulley Current Position:  Research Assistant Professor, Departments of Dermatology and Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Cancer Center, Rochester, NY Email:  julie_ryan@urmc.rochester.edu Lisa Marie Sturk, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Comparative Pharmacokinetics of DB289 and DB844: Investigating Improved Prodrug Efficacy Against Mouse Models of Sleeping Sickness Advisor: Richard R. Tidwell Current Position:  Scientist, In Vivo Resources, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA Email:  lmsturk@tktx.com URL:  www.shire.com Yau-Sheng Tsai, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma in the Metabolic Syndrome Advisor: Nobuyo Maeda Current Position:  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School fo Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email:  yausheng.tsai@pathology.unc.edu

2004 Brandi Whitley Hilder, Ph.D. Dissertation title:  Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 in Breast and Ovarian Cancer Invasion Advisor: Frank C. Church Current Position:  Clinical Research Fellow, Cato Research, Durham, NC Email:  bhilder@cato.com URL:  http://www.cato.com/

2003 Susan D. Hester, Ph.D. Dissertation title: Genetic Events Involved in Formaldehyde-induced Carcinogenesis Advisor: Douglas C. Wolf Current Position: Research Biologist, Cancer Biology Branch, NHEERL/ECD, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC Email: Hester.Susan@epamail.epa.gov

William F. Pendergraft III, Ph.D. Dissertation title: In Depth Analysis of the Myeloid Protease, Proteinase 3, as an Autoantigen and a Mediator of Vascular Injury Advisor: Ronald J. Falk Current Position: Medical Student, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC Email: will_pendergraft@med.unc.edu

2002 Bryan L. Betz, Ph.D. Dissertation title: The hSNF5/INI1 Tumor Suppressor Gene: Mutational Analysis and Functional Characterization Advisor: Bernard E. Weissman Current Position: Assistant Professor, Technical Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI Email: bbetz@med.umich.edu

Sharon Ricketts Betz, Ph.D. Dissertation title: Identification and Characterization of Candidate Liver Tumor Suppressor Genes from Human Chromosome 11p11.2-p12 Advisor: William B. Coleman Current Position: Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of the Cytogenetics and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratories, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI Email: sbetz@med.umich.edu

Paula B.Deming, Ph.D. Dissertation title: Mechanisms of Human Decatenation Checkpoint Function Advisor: William K. Kaufmann Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT Email: Paula.Deming@med.uvm.edu

Jeffrey B. Hodgin, Ph.D., M.D. Dissertation title: Molecular Mechanisms of Atheroprotection by 17b-estradiol Advisor: Nobuyo N. Maeda Current Position: Chief Resident, Department of Pathology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY Email: jeh9026@nyp.org

Nazumi Alice S. Yamada, Ph.D. Dissertation title: Microsatellite Instability in the Absence of Mismatch Repair Defects Advisor: Rosann A. Farber Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Staff Member, DNA Repair Team, Biology and Biotechnology Research Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA Email:  yamada3@llnl.gov

Suzanne T. Newberry, M.S. Thesis title: Methylation-dependent Epigenetic Silencing of BRCA1 in Sporadic Breast Cancer Advisor: William B. Coleman Current Position: Math and Science Program Coordinator, Information Technology and Sciences Division, Camplain College, Burlington, VT Email:  sunewberry@burlingtontelecom.net

2001 Kelly A. Hogan, Ph.D. Dissertation title: Fibrinogen Vlissingen/Frankfurt IV: Studies with Recombinant Fibrinogen and Gene-Targeted Mice Advisor: Susan T. Lord Current Position: Lecturer, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Email: kelly_hogan@unc.edu

Jennifer Wemhoff Mitchell, Ph.D. Dissertation title: Structure, Function, and Physiological Role of Heparin Cofactor II Advisor: Frank C. Church Current Position:  Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA Email:  jwmitch@scripps.edu URL: http://www.scripps.edu/cb/miles/

Dorothy H. Wood, Ph.D. Dissertation title: The Role of Imidazoline Receptors in 1,5-Bis(4-Amidinophenoxy) Pentane (Pentamidine) Toxicity Advisor: Richard R. Tidwell Current Position: Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC Email: dwood@wpo.nccu.edu URL: http://www.nccu.edu/artsci/biology/biology.html

Alexis T. Henry, M.S. Thesis title: Characterization of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Protein C Inhibitor Advisor: Frank C. Church Current Position:  Diosynth RTP Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC Email:  alexis.henry@diosynth-rtp.com URL:  http://www.advancesinlifescience.com/default.asp

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