Biological Sciences 2017
Area of Doctoral Study: Molecular and Cell Biology
Undergraduate Institution: Azad University-Iran
Other Graduate Institute: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Research Advisor: Michelle Starz-Gaiano, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Description of Research
Cell migration, which is required for various desired biological events, is also the cause of an undesired phenomenon, tumor metastasis. Out of different signaling pathways that contribute to cell migration, the Janus Kinase/Signal Inducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) is of high interest since this pathway is involved in various biological processes and dysfunction of the pathway is correlated to different human diseases, including immune disorders and tumorigenesis. Some components of this pathway including DOME, UNPAIRED, JAK and STAT are well characterized, however, other components of the pathway including APT and SOCS are not completely understood. It has been shown that both APT and SOCS affect cell migration but the mechanism by which they act is not clear. We propose to understand better the global role of APT and the mechanism by which it functions.