Dr. Cheryl L. Walker
Regular Member
Texas A&M Health Science Center
Institute of Biosciences and Technology
Center for Translational Cancer Research
Research Interests:
- Genetic susceptibility to cancer
- Molecular mechanisms of tumor development
- Uterine and kidney cancer
Our studies on the molecular alterations that cause cancer focus on:
1) Understanding how exposure to environmental chemicals during development reprograms gene expression to promote cancer in adulthood
2) Translational research to identify alterations in cell signaling pathways in tumors that can be targeted therapeutically
3) Identifying how the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) tumor suppressor gene interacts with other important cellular proteins such as polycystin (involved in polycystic kidney disease, PKD), p27 (involved in cell cycle control) and ATM (important for the response to DNA damage).
Students rotating in the laboratory gain experience in the use of genetically engineered animal models, biochemical techniques such as western blotting, cell fractionation and in vitro kinase assays, cell biology techniques such as confocal microscopy and tissue culture, and molecular techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, siRNA knockdown and PCR.
Program Affiliation:
Program in Molecular Carcinogenesis
Contact Information
Phone: 713.677.7440
Email: cwalker@ibt.tamhsc.edu
Office: IBT Room 202A
Title: Professor
Education:
Ph.D. - The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas - 1984
