• Suzanne Conzen, MD

• Larissa Belova, PhD
My research is focused on post-translational modifications of proteins that are related to cancer cell survival. In particular, I am currently elucidating the exact mechanisms of phosphorylation of SGK-1, a GR-induced protein that is actviated downstream of the PI3K pathway. In addition, I am interested in the implications of SGK-1 over-expression and activity in human breast cancers.


• Min Zou, PhD
I am a postdoctoral research scholar in the Conzen lab. My main research project focuses on developing and applying efficient bioinformatic algorithms and approaches to elucidate biological pathways and networks underlying glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated anti-apoptosis in breast epithelial cells from time course DNA microarray data. My second research project uses novel bioinformatic approaches to identify genetic variants of breast cancer associated genes, such as Serum and Glucocorticoid Regulated Kinase (SGK) that might contribute to differential expression of SGK-1 in individuals.

• Deanna Brickley, MSc
I have been a member of the Conzen Lab for more than 7 years and in that time have been involved in multiple projects. My projects are focused on studying the GR-induced gene, SGK, a member of the serine-threonine kinase family. Currently, I am examining the regulation of SGK-1 by ubiquitination and identifying protein domains and subcellular localization required for efficient degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.


• Brad Williams, BA
My project examines the effect of social environment on mammary tumor biology as it relates to endogenous glucocorticoid signaling. To this end, we are employing a transgenic SV40 Tag model of breast cancer because of its faithful recapitulation of the pathology of human cancers. We have exciting preliminary data suggesting that environmental conditions can affect the gene expression and biology of mammary gland tumors.


• Sonal Kashyap, MSc
I am working on a project analyzing putative glucocorticoid response elements in the upstream region of target genes that maybe responsible for alternative gene expression across equatorial populations.


• Travis Pew, BA
I began working in the lab as an undergraduate student, and am now working full-time. My project, a continuation of my honors project, involves studying genes downstream of the functional GR/SGK-1/FOXO3a signalling pathway and their relationship to anti-apoptotic signaling.

Principal Investigator

Post-doctoral Fellows

Staff