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Commencement 2024
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CCRTD Cancer Center Members

Administrative

Faculty

Staff

Nathan J. Bowen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Jaideep Chaudhary, Ph.D.

Professor

Bekir Cinar, Ph.D.

Professor

Cimona Vaughn Hinton, Ph.D.

Professor

Shafiq A. Khan, Ph.D.

Professor

Geou Yarh Liou, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Joann B. Powell, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Zhengxin Wang, Ph.D.

Professor

Daqing Wu, Ph.D.

Professor

Nathan J. Bowen, PhD

Position(s):  Associate Professor 
Director of Genomic and Bioinformatic Cores 
Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development  
Georgia Cancer Coalition ​Distinguished Cancer Scholar ​

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: nbowen@cau.edu ​​​
Office Location: Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-8158

Education:
University of Georgia 2000  Ph.D. (Genetics) ​
Georgia Institute of Technology 1992  B.S. (Applied Biology) ​
Gordon State College  1990  A.S. (Chemistry)

Research Interests:​
The goals of the research conducted in our laboratory are to discover prognostic markers and to characterize their biological roles in the oncogenic processes leading to the development of prostate cancer. Our laboratory uses a combination of biological approaches including genomic, computational/bioinformatic, evolutionary, molecular, cellular and developmental methods for an integrated approach to prostate cancer research, concentrated on identifying the underlying cause of observed disparities in prostate cancer incidence rates between men with different genetic ancestries now living in the United States. It is our goal to eliminate prostate cancer incidence and mortality rate disparities in African American Men by population stratification using risk prediction alleles identified by mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium.  These alleles may identify causal mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression that can be leveraged to develop effective strategies for prevention and management of prostate cancer in all men.

Publications: 

  • myNCBI Public Bibliography
  • Google Scholar
  • Proteomics-Metabolomics Combined Approach Identifies Peroxidasin as a Protector against Metabolic and Oxidative Stress in Prostate Cancer International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2019-06 DOI:10.3390/ijms20123046​
  • CCAAT-displacement protein/cut homeobox transcription factor (CUX1) represses estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-α) in triple-negative breast cancer cells and can be antagonized by muscadine grape skin extract (MSKE)PLOS ONE. 2019-04-09. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0214844​
  • Essential role of JunD in cell proliferation is mediated via MYC signaling in prostate cancer cells. Cancer Letters 2019-04.DOI:10.1016/j.canlet.2019.02.005​
  • Association of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition with prostate and breast health disparities. PLOS ONE2018-09-10. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0203855​
  • The immunoregulatory role of alpha enolase in dendritic cell function during Chlamydia infection. BMC Immunology. 2017DOI:10.1186/s12865-017-0212-1

 

Jaideep Chaudhary, PhD​

Position(s):  Interim Dean, School of Arts and Sciences & Professor​

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: jchaudhary@cau.edu​​​
Office Location: 103 Sage Bacote Hall​ ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-6821

Education:
PhD (1991): Reproductive Endocrinology, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (affiliated to Agra University, Agra, India), New Delhi, India. Dissertation objectives were to investigate mechanism of action of gonadal hormones.​

Research Interests:​

  • Mechanisms involved in prostate cancer initiation and progression​
  • bHLH transcription factors​
  • Health disparities.

Publications: 

  • Wojnarowicz PM, Silva RL, Ohanaka M, Lee SB, Chin Y, Kulukian A, Chang S -H, Desai B, Escolano MG, Shah R, Garcia-Cao M, Xu S, Kadam R, Goldgur Y, Miller MA, Ouerfelli O, Yamg G, Arakawa T, Albanese SK, Garland WA, Stoller G, Chaudhary J, Norton L, Soni RK, Philip J, Hendrickson RC, Ivarone A, Dannenberg AJ, Chodera JD, Pavletich N, Lasorella A, Campochiaro PA and Benezra R (2019) A small molecule Pan-Id Antagonist Inhibits Pathologic Ocular Neovascularization. Cell Rep. 2019 Oct 1;29(1):62-75.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.073. 31577956.   PMID 31577956​
  • Joshi J, Patel D, Morton DJ, Sharma P, Zou J, Bostanthirige D -H, Gorantla Y, Nagappan P, Komaragiri SK, Sivils JC, Xie H, Palaniappan R, Wang G, Cox MB, and Chaudhary J (2017) Inactivation of ID4 Promotes a CRPC Phenotype with Constitutive AR Activation through FKBP52. Mol Oncol. 2017 Apr;11(4):337-357. PMID 28252832.​
  • Morton DJ, Patel D, Joshi J, Hunt A, Knowell AE, Chaudhary J (2017) ID4 regulates transcriptional activity of wild type and mutant p53 via K373 acetylation. Oncotarget. 2017 Jan 10;8(2):2536-2549. PMID 27911860.​
  • Komaragiri SK, Bostanthirige DH, Morton DJ, Patel D, Joshi J, Upadhyay S, Chaudhary J (2016) ID4 promotes AR expression and blocks tumorigenicity of PC3 prostate cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Jul 23. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.07.092. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID:27462022​
  • Korang-Yeboah M, Patel D, Morton D, Sharma P, Gorantla Y, Joshi J, Nagappan P, Pallaniappan R and Chaudhary J (2016) Intra-tumoral delivery of functional ID4 protein via PCL/ Maltodextrin nano-particle inhibits prostate cancer growth. Oncotarget. 2016 Jul 30. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.10953. PMID:27487149

Bekir Cinar, PhD​

Position(s): Professor​​

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: bcinar@cau.edu ​​​
Office Location: Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-8438

Education:
Ph.D. – Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine ​
Postdoctoral Fellow – Boston Children Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Research Interests:​

  • Proteomics​
  • Epigenetics ​
  • Signal transduction ​
  • Cell-cell interactions ​
  • Cell migration and cancer cell metastasis and therapeutics.

Publications: 

Cimona Vaughn Hinton, PhD

Position(s):  Professor

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: chinton@cau.edu​​​
Office Location: Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-6337

Education:
B.S.: Chemistry, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD ​
Ph.D.: Biomedical Sciences (Biochemistry), Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN ​
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Harvard Medical School & Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA

Research Interests:​

  • My laboratory broadly focuses on the biochemistry that drives tumor cell motility at both the cellular and molecular levels which translates to metastasis in a human system. We are currently interested in:​
    • (I) tertiary prevention methods of metastasis with cannabinoids; and ​
    • (II) characterizing ROS-bearing tumor immune infiltrates that progress prostate tumors to a mobile phenotype. We primarily investigate CXCR4, CB2, NOX2, NFκB and oxidant signaling mechanisms. 

Publications: 

Click here to access publications in PubMed. 

Shafiq A. Khan, PhD

Position(s): Director of Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development &​ Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Cancer Cell Biology ​

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: skhan@cau.edu ​​
Office Location: 4045C Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-6795​​

Education:
Ph.D., 1985 ​
Reproductive Endocrinology ​
Karolinska Institute ​
Stockholm, Sweden ​

Research Interests:​

  • Growth factor and hormone signaling in prostate cancer cells ​
  • TGFβ signaling during prostate cancer progression and in prostate cancer health disparities in African-American men. ​
  • Role of G-proteins in prostate cancer cell migration and invasion ​

Publications: 

  • Elliott B, Zackery DL, Eaton VA, Jones RT, Abebe F, Ragin CC, Khan SA (2018). Ethnic Differences in TGFβ signaling pathway may contribute to prostate cancer health disparity. Carcinogenesis, 39: 546–555. ​
  • Caggia S, Chunduri H, Millena AC, Perkins JN, Venugopal SV, Vo BT, Li C, Tu Y, Khan SA (2018) Novel role of Giα2 in cell migration and invasion: downstream of PI3-kinase/AKT and Rac1 activation in prostate cancer cells. Journal of Cellular Physiology 234: 802-815. ​
  • Elliott B, Millena AC, Matyunina L, Zhang M, Zou J, Wang G, Zhang Q, Bowen N, Eaton V, Webb G, Thompson S, McDonald J, Khan SA (2019). Essential role of JunD in cell proliferation is mediated via MYC signaling in prostate cancer cells. Cancer Letters 448: 155-167. ​
  • Venugopal SV, Caggia S, Gambrell-Sanders D, Khan SA (2020). Differential roles and activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complexes 1 and 2 during cell migration in prostate cancer cells. Prostate 80:412-423.  ​
  • Caggia S, Tapadar S, Wu B, Venugopal SV, Garrett AS, Kumar A, Stiffend JS, Davis JS, Oyelere AK, Khan SA (2020) Small molecule inhibitors targeting Gαi2 protein attenuate migration of cancer cells. Cancers 12(6), 1631; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12061631. ​
  • Click here for a complete list of publications at PubMed. 
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Geou-Yarh Liou, PhD

Position(s):  Associate Professor 

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: gliou@cau.edu ​​​
Office Location: Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-6981

Education:

  • National Central University, Taiwan; B.S. ; Chemical Engineering ​
  • National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan; M.S. ; Molecular Medicine ​
  • Michigan State University, MI, USA; Ph.D. ; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology ​
  • Michigan State University, MI, USA; postdoctoral Research Associate; Physiology ​
  • Mayo Clinic, FL, USA; Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Senior Research Fellow; Cancer Biology ​

 

Research Interests:​

  • Prostate cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Inflammation, Cell signaling pathways, Acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, Cancer stem cells, Tumor microenvironment, Cancer immunology, Organoid culture, 3D co-culture.  

Publications: 

Click here to access publications in PubMed. 

Joann B. Powell, PhD​

Position(s):  Associate Professor 

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: jpowell@cau.edu​​​
Office Location: Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-6794

Education:
Postdoc: Emory University School of Medicine-Winship Cancer Institute ​
PhD: Meharry Medical College 

Research Interests:​

  • Our lab aims to understand the molecular mechanisms by which cancer cells progress into advanced and malignant phenotypes. In particular, we focus on the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in prostate cancer progression. AhR is widely known for its role in mediating the harmful effects of a number of environmental toxins. However, evidence suggests that it may also play a key role in the progression of prostate cancer from androgen sensitive to castration resistant. Specific goals of our lab are to: ​
    • Determine the role of AhR in the development of castration resistant prostate cancer via interaction with the androgen signaling pathway.  ​
    • Investigate the effects of environmental toxins (AhR agonist) on prostate cancer progression and the ability of naturally occurring ligands to inhibit progression.    ​
    • Establish AhR as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of castration independent   prostate cancer. 

Publications: 

  • Ghotbaddini M, Moultrie V, and Powell JB. Constitutive Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling in Prostate Cancer Progression. Journal of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis. Volume 2 Issue 5 (2018). PMID: 31328183, PMCID:PMC6641558.    ​
  • Ghotbaddini M, Cisse K, Carey A, Powell JB. Simultaneous inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and Src abolishes androgen receptor signaling. PLoS One. 2017 Jul 3;12(7):e0179844. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179844. PMID: 28671964. ​
  • Ghotbaddini M and Powell JB. The AhR Ligand, TCDD, Regulates Androgen Receptor Activity Differently in Androgen-Sensitive versus Castration-Resistant Human Prostate Cancer Cells. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health.  2015; 2(7): 7506-18; doi: 10.3390/ijerph120707506. PubMed PMID: 26154658; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4515671. ​
  • Richmond O, Ghotbaddini M, Allen C, Walker A, Zahir S, Powell JB. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor is constitutively active in advanced prostate cancer cells. PLoS One. 2014; 9(4):e95058. PubMed PMID: 24755659; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3995675.
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Zhengxin Wang, PhD

Position(s):  Professor 

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: zwang@cau.edu ​​​​
Office Location: Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-8065

Education:
B. SC. in Chemistry 1983 Peking University Beijing, China​
Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1990 Peking University Beijing, China

Research Interests:​

  • Dr. Wang’s research is focused on the basic biology of the prostate gland and prostate cancer and how the ageing process leads to re-growth of the prostate gland and to prostate tumorigenesis. ​
  • His reseach is also involved identification of small chemical compunds that specifically inhibite the gaeing-related prostate growth for prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.

Publications: www.nature.com/articles/s41388-018-0254-8​

  •  
  • journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0181601​
  • bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12885-016-2632-3

Daqing Wu, PhD

Position(s):  Professor ​

Academic Department: Biological Sciences

Contact: dwu@cau.edu ​​​​
Office Location: Thomas Cole Research Center ​​
Office Telephone: 404-880-6337

Education:

Ph.D. in Biochemistry Peking University Beijing, China​

 

Research Interests:​

  • Dr. Wu’s research interest includes the biology of tumor metastasis and the development of new prevention and treatment for prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and osteosarcoma. ​
  • His studies have identified several new therapeutic targets and developed small-molecule inhibitors of EED-EZH2 interaction and SCF complexes. ​
  • Several non-cancerous drugs have shown promising efficacy in preclinical models of prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. ​
  • A nutraceutical formulation, ProFine, demonstrated favorable efficacy and safety in treating prostate cancer. ​
  • Dr. Wu’s current efforts focus on the translation and commercialization of laboratory research into clinical use for the treatment of advanced cancer.

Publications: 

  • Li X, Chen Y, Bai L, Zhao R, Wu Y, Xie ZR, Wu JM, Bowen NJ, Danaher A, Cook N, Li D, Qui M, Du Y, Fu H, Osunkoya AO, Kucuk O, Wu D. Nicardipine is a putative EED inhibitor and has high selectivity and potency against chemoresistant prostate cancer in preclinical models. British Journal of Cancer, doi: 10.1038/s41416-023-02359-y, 2023.
  • Bai L, Li X, Yang Y, Zhao R, White EZ, Danaher A, Bowen NJ, Hinton CV, Cook N, Li D, Wu AY, Qui M, Du Y, Fu H, Kucuk O, Wu D. Bromocriptine monotherapy overcomes prostate cancer chemoresistance in preclinical models. Translational Oncology, 34:101707, 2023.
  • Zhao R, Ma X, Bai L, Li X, Mamouni K, Yang Y, Liu H, Danaher A, Cook N, Kucuk O, Hodges RS, Gera L, Wu D. Overcoming prostate cancer drug resistance with a novel organosilicon small molecule. Neoplasia, 23:1261-1274, 2021.
  • Wu D, Osunkoya AO, Kucuk O. Epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN) and prostate cancer: lessons learned from the ARCaP model. American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Urology, 9:264-276, 2021.
  • Li X, Gera L, Zhang S, Chen Y, Lou L, Wilson LM, Xie ZR, Sautto G, Liu D, Danaher A, Mamouni K, Yang Y, Du Y, Fu H, Kucuk O, Osunkoya AO, Zhou J, Wu D. Allosteric EED inhibitor suppresses EZH2 signaling and overcomes chemoresistance in prostate cancer. Theranostics, 11:6873-6890, 2021.
  • Cook N, Chen J, Zhou J, Wu D. Embryonic ectoderm development (EED) as a novel target for cancer treatment. Current Topic in Medicinal Chemistry, 21:2771-2777, 2021.
  • Chen Y, Li X, Mamouni K, Yang Y, Danaher A, White J, Liu H, Kucuk O, Gera L, Wu D. Novel small molecule LG1836 inhibits the in vivo growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Prostate, 80:993-1005, 2020. 
  • Bai L, Li X, Ma X, Zhao R, Wu D. In vitro effect and mechanism of action of ergot alkaloid dihydroergocristine in chemoresistant prostate cancer cells. Anticancer Research, 40:6051-6062, 2020.
  • Chen Y, Gera L, Zhang S, Li X, Yang Y, Mamouni K, Wu AY, Liu HY, Kucuk O, Wu D. Small molecule BKM1972 inhibits human prostate cancer growth and overcomes docetaxel resistance in intraosseous models. Cancer Letters, 446: 62-72, 2019.
  • Mamouni K, Zhang S, Li X, Chen Y, Yang Y, Kim J, Bartlett MG, Coleman IM, Nelson PS, Kucuk O, Wu D. A novel flavonoid composition targets androgen receptor signaling and inhibits prostate cancer growth in preclinical models. Neoplasia, 20:789-799, 2018.
  • Yang Y, Mamouni K, Li X, Chen Y, Kavuri S, Du Y, Fu H, Kucuk O, Wu D. Repositioning dopamine D2 receptor agonist bromocriptine to enhance docetaxel chemotherapy and treat bone metastatic prostate cancer. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 17: 1859-1870, 2018.

Click here to access publications in PubMed.