Carlos S. Moreno, Ph.D.
RESEARCH INTERESTS:
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My main research interests are in translational cancer bioinformatics and systems biology, to identify diagnostic markers for more effective and personalized therapies, to identify new potential therapeutic targets, and to better understand the biology of tumor progression.
My research has focused on the dissection of the perturbed transcriptional networks in prostate, brain, breast, and ovarian cancers using DNA microarrays and next generation sequencing.
My lab has identified several genes that are strongly correlated with prostate cancer progression, including two developmental transcription factors, HOXC6 and SOX4.
We are also developing mRNA and microRNA biomarkers of recurrence in prostate cancer.
My lab analyzes genome-wide expression profiles, transcriptional networks, ChIP-chip and ChIP-seq studies, biological pathways, and evolutionarily conserved transcription factor binding sites to dissect cancer-related transcriptional networks and identify new drug targets and biomarkers.
We are heavily involved in analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas project to identify potential drug targets as part of the Cancer Target Discovery and Development (CTD²) Network at NCI. |
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EDUCATION: |
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Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
Cambridge, MA
Massachusetts Institute Of
Technology
Cambridge, MA |
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1998-2001 Postdoctoral Fellow in the
laboratory of Dr. David C. Pallas, Biochemistry Department, Emory University
School of Medicine. Identified and analyzed the striatin/SG2NA family
of regulatory subunits for Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and their role in
cell cycle regulation. Discovered that the mouse homolog of MOB1, a
yeast protein essential for initiation of cytokinesis and maintenance of
ploidy, binds to striatin/PP2A and SG2NA/PP2A complexes and is a PP2A
substrate. Developed and applied quality threshold clustering
algorithms for analysis of gene expression profiles of renal carcinomas. |
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GRADUATE TRAINING: |
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1992-1998 Studied the regulation of transcription
of human Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II genes. Cloned
and characterized factors that bind to the X box of MHC class II
promoters. One of these factors, X2BP, was purified and shown to be
identical to the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). The
other factor, RFX, was shown to be a multimeric phosphoprotein, and a novel
subunit (RFX-B) was identified by metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation
analysis. |
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RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: |
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1990-1992 Aerospace Engineer, CS Draper Laboratory,
Cambridge, MA. Developed changes to the Space Shuttle Navigation Flight
Software for incorporation of Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation
data. Enhanced and developed computer simulations of Space
Shuttle Re-Entry. 1988-1990 Aerospace Engineer, NASA Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. Performed technology development
research for the Mars Rover/Pathfinder Mission. Researched remote
sample acquisition, robotic end effector technology, semi-autonomous
navigation systems, and lander/rover vehicle design. |
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GRANTS: |
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NIH National Cancer Institute U01 (2012-17) "U01 CA168449-01 (Fu)
High Throughput Protein-Protein Interaction Interrogation in Cancer" Informatics Project Leader |
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NIH National Cancer Institute R01 (2009-14) "2R01
CA106826 Developmental Transcription Factors in Prostate Cancer" |
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DOD CDMRP Prostate Cancer IDEA Development Award PC093328 (2010-13)
"Validation of Biomarkers Predictive of Recurrence Following Prostatectomy" |
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Winship Cancer Institute Seed Grant
Award (2008) "The Role of MicroRNAs
in Breast Cancers of Young Women with a Triple Negative Phenotype in
Diverse Ethnic Populations" |
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