Training Program in Molecular Oncology and Immunology: Overview

 

This program trains doctoral candidates in the areas of molecular oncology, viral oncology, virus-cell interaction, cellular, humoral and developmental immunology, innate immunity, immunochemistry, and molecular genetics.  Research experience may be acquired in the following areas:  tumor virus-cell interaction, regulation of gene expression, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, DNA repair, lymphomas, molecular biology of immunoglobulin genes, immunogenetics, autoimmune disease, interferon, interleukins, cytokines and growth factors, AIDS, and various problems in cellular, tumor, and parasite immunology. 

 

Director:                      Angel Pellicer, M.D.

 

Graduate Advisors:     David E. Levy, Ph.D.

                                    del243@med.nyu.edu

                                    212-263-8192

 

                                    Susan Smith, Ph.D.

                                    smithsu@saturn.med.nyu.edu

            212-263-2540

 

 

           Typical Curriculum for Students in Molecular Oncology and Immunology

 

 

Fall

Spring

First Year

á       Foundations of Cell and

          Molecular Biology I

á       Elective

á       Research in Pathology

á       Foundations of Cell and

           Molecular Biology II

á       Introductory Immunology

á       Research in Pathology

Second Year

 

á       Seminar in Pathology*

á       Research in Pathology

á       Elective

á       Molecular Oncology

á       Elective

á       Seminar in Pathology*

á       Research in Pathology

Third Year

á       Seminar in Pathology*

á       Research in Pathology

á       Work in Progress grad student Seminar

á       Research in Pathology

Fourth Year Until

Completion of Degree

á       Work in Progress grad student Seminar

á       Research in Pathology

 

 

Required Courses

Recommended Courses

Foundations of Cell and Molecular Biology I & II

Advanced Immunology

Introductory Immunology

Bioinformatics

Molecular Oncology (offered every Spring of even numbered years)

Molecular Virology (offered every Spring of odd numbered years)

 

 

Following are two lists: the first is of molecular oncology faculty and their research interests, and the second, a list of immunology program faculty and their research interests.

 

 

                                  Molecular Oncology and Immunology Program:

                           Molecular Oncology Faculty and Research Interests

 

 

Erika Bach, Ph.D.

The Roles of the Jak-STAT Pathway in Drosophila

Dafna Bar-Sagi, Ph.D.

Oncogene Function In Pancreatic Cancer

Claudio Basilico, M.D.

Signals Controlling Cell Proliferation

Peter Brooks, Ph.D.

Regulation of Invasive Cellular Processes

Moses Chao, Ph.D.

Mechanisms of Neurotrophin Receptor Signaling

Pamela Cowin, Ph.D.

Cell Adhesion and Wnt Signaling

Gregory David, Ph.D.

Chromatin Modification during Development and Cancer

Brian Dynlacht, Ph.D.

Regulation of Mammalian Cell Cycle Progression

Michael Garabedian, Ph.D.

Mechanism of Steroid Hormone Receptor Action

Eva Hernando, Ph.D.

Cell Cycle Dysregulation In Mouse Models Of Sarcoma

Stevan Hubbard, Ph.D.

Crystallographic Studies of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases

Hannah Klein, Ph.D.

Genomic Instability and DNA Damage Checkpoints

Peng Lee, M.D., Ph.D.

Androgen Receptor and its Cofactors in Prostate and Breast Cancer

David Levy, Ph.D.

Signal Transduction and Gene Expression in Cell Growth Control

Daniel Meruelo, Ph.D.

Genetic Predispositions to Tumorigenesis and Potential Treatments

Moosa Mohammadi, Ph.D.

Structural and Functional Studies of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) Receptors

Michele Pagano, M.D.

Regulation of the Mammalian Cell Cycle and its Deregulation in Cancer

Angel Pellicer, M.D., Ph.D.

Molecular Alterations in Tumor Formation

Mark Philips, M.D.

Processing and Membrane Targeting of GTPases

Daniel Rifkin, Ph.D.

Extracellular Control of Growth Factor Action

David Ron, M.D.

The Cellular Adaptation to Proteotoxicity

David Roth, M.D., Ph.D.

Mechanisms of Antigen Receptor Gene Rearrangement, Maintenance of Genomic Stability, DNA repair and Lymphomagensis

Robert Schneider, Ph.D.

Altered Regulation of Gene Expression in Carcinogenesis and Cell Stress

Susan Smith, Ph.D.

Molecular Mechanisms of Telomere Function

George Teebor, M.D.

Molecular Genetics and Enzymology of DNA Excision Repair

Daniel Turnbull, Ph.D.

In-Vivo Microimaging of Transgenic Mice

David Zagzag, M.D., Ph.D.

Mechanisms of Cerebral Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis

Edward Ziff, Ph.D.

Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Regulation

 

 

 

                                  Molecular Oncology and Immunology Program:

                                                      Immunology Faculty

 

 

Iannis Aifantis, Ph.D.

Signaling mechanisms in T lymphocyte development

Ross Basch, M.D.

Developmental hematology and immunology

Nina Bhardwaj, M.D., Ph.D.

Immunobiology of antigen presenting cells; cancer vaccine development

Steven Burakoff, M.D.

Signal transduction in activated T-cells

Michael Dustin, Ph.D.

T cell activation, migration and adhesion. Formation of the immunological synapse.

Adrian Erlebacher, M.D., Ph.D.

Immunological tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface

Alan Frey, Ph.D.

Function of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in human breast cancer

Hodaka Fujii, M.D., Ph.D.

Analysis of cytokine signal transduction and mechanisms of lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation by cytokine-inducible genes.

Catarina Hioe, Ph.D.

T cell lymphocyte function in HIV infection

Michelle Krogsgaard, Ph.D.

T cell receptor structure and function

Suman Laal, Ph.D.

Pathogenesis and diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Juan Lafaille, Ph.D.

Pathogenesis of autoimmune and allergic diseases

David Levy, Ph.D.

Cytokine signaling in innate immunity to viral infections

David Roth, M.D., Ph.D.

Molecular basis of V(D)J recombination

Jane Skok, Ph.D.

Nuclear organization of immunoglobulin genes

Sergio Trombetta, Ph.D, Pharm D.

Dendritic cell function in innate and adaptive immunity

Susan Zolla-Pazner, Ph.D.

Immune response to HIV and vaccine development

 

 


 

                        Seminar Speakers: Immunology Club 2005 - 2006

 

September 15, 2005

ÒAntibodies and their receptors:  mechanisms for coupling innate and adaptive immunityÓ

Jeffrey Ravetch, M.D., Ph.D.

The Rockefeller University

 

November 17, 2005

ÒIn silico and experimental approaches to study the immunological synapseÓ

Andrey Shaw, M.D.

Washington University

September 22, 2005

ÒMolecular mechanisms of lineage commitment in the spleen and a novel functional niche for B cellsÓ

Shiv Pillai, M.D, Ph.D.

Harvard University

 

December 1, 2005

ÒAn unexpected mechanism prompting organ-specific autoimmunity diseaseÓ

Diane Mathis, Ph.D.

Harvard Medical School

September 29, 2005

ÒEndogenous and exogenous glycosphingolipid antigens for NKT cells during microbial infection.Ó

Albert Bendelac, M.D., Ph.D.

University of Chicago

 

December 8, 2005

ÒDendritic Cells and ImmunityÓ

Yong-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr.

October 6, 2005

ÒThe Complexities of the Leukocyte Recruitment ParadigmÓ

Paul Kubes M.D, Ph.D.

University of Calgary

 

December 8, 2005

ÒDendritic Cells and ImmunityÓ

Yong-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr.

October 13, 2005

ÒClass switch recombination and somatic hypermutation study through human natural mutantsÓ

Anne Durandy, M.D., Ph.D.

Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades

 

January 5, 2006

ÒImmunoregulation of Dendritic Cells by Activating and Inhibitory Fc Receptors.Ó

Raphael Clynes, M.D., Ph.D.

Columbia University

October 20, 2005

ÒDNA-PKcs: Director at the EndÓ

Katheryn Meek, D.V.M.

Michigan State University

 

January 12, 2006

ÒMechanisms of Th1 Effector CD4 Cell Tolerization, and the Effect of Prostate Tumorigenesis on CD4 Cell ToleranceÓ

Adam Adler, Ph.D.

University of Connecticut School of Medicine

November 3, 2005

ÒMolecular Mechanisms of Antigen ProcessingÓ

Peter Cresswell, Ph.D.

Yale University School of Medicine

 

January 19, 2006

ÒTh17; A New Lineage of Effector CD4 T cellsÓ

Casey Weaver, M.D.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

November 10, 2005

ÒA Role for Toll-like Receptors in Systemic Autoimmune DiseasesÓ

Ann Marshak-Rothstein, Ph.D.

Boston University, School of Medicine

 

January 26, 2006

ÒRole of p38 MAP kinase in thymocyte developmentÓ

Mercedes Rincon, Ph.D.

University of Vermont

February 9, 2006

ÒPerivascular cells: immunological regulators of the central nervous systemÓ

William Hickey, M.D.

Dartmouth Medical School

 

April 20, 2006

ÒS1P and lymphocyte egress controlÓ

Jason Cyster, Ph.D.

University of California San Francisco

 

February 16, 2006

ÒSpecial Delivery: A New Model for PerforinÓ

Judy Lieberman, M.D., Ph.D.

Harvard Medical School

 

April 27, 2006

ÒSecretion at the immunological synapseÓ

Gillian Griffiths, PhD

Sir William Dunn School of Pathology

February 23, 2006

ÒFrom stem cell to T cell: one route or many?Ó

Avinash Bhandoola, M.D., Ph.D.

University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine

 

May 4, 2006

ÒUbiquitin, NF-kB and Antiviral Innate ImmunityÓ

Zhijian Chen, Ph.D.

University of Texas - SW Medical Center

March 2, 2006

ÒHarnessing innate immunity in the adaptive anti-tumor immune response. Ó

Willem Overwijk, Ph.D.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

 

May 11, 2006

ÒPeripheral tolerance of CD8 T cells to self and tumor antigensÓ

Linda A. Sherman, Ph.D.

The Scripps Research Institute

March 9, 2006

ÒInsights into the molecular mechanisms of CD4 T cell differentiation in the thymusÓ

Remy Bosselut, M.D., Ph.D.

National Cancer Institute, NIH

 

May 18, 2006

ÒSystemic immune tolerance and autoimmunityÓ

Abul Abbas, M.D.

University of California, San Francisco

March 16, 2006

ÒGeneration and localization of gut tropic effector T cells.Ó

William Agace, Ph.D.

Lund University, Sweden

 

May 25, 2006

ÒLymphocyte cytoskeleton and its rapid reorganization in response to chemokine: ERMs and beyond.Ó

Steve Shaw, M.D.

Chief, Human Immunology Section, NCI, NIH

March 23, 2006

"The biology of gamma c-family of cytokines and the IL-7 related cytokine, TSLP"

Warren Leonard, Ph.D.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

 

June 1, 2006

ÒCheckpoints of autoimmunity: tracking of encephalitogenic effector T cells in living milieusÓ

Alexander Flugel, M.D.

Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology

March 30, 2006

ÒTRAF6, a regulator of the osteoimmune systemÓ

Yongwon Choi, Ph.D.

University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine

 

June 8, 2006

ÒTwo mechanisms of regulating T cell activation and homeostasis: Foxo and caspase-8Ó

Steve Hedrick, Ph.D.

University of California, San Diego

April 6, 2006

ÒActivation and sequestration of CD8+ T cell in liverÓ

Nicholas Crispe, Ph.D.

University of Rochester

 

June 15, 2006

ÒT cell activation and the Immunological Synapse: a view from the centerÓ

Abraham (Avi) Kupfer, Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

April 13, 2006

ÒModulating vaccine responses with innate immunityÓ

Bali Pulendran, Ph.D.

Emory Vaccine Center

 

June 22, 2006

ÒMetabolic and Genetic regulation of T cell function and Autoimmunity via the Hexosamine and N-glyosylation Pathways.Ó

Michael Demetriou, M.D.

University of California, Irvine