The candidate, Dr. Kelly Mack, is an associate professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in the Department of Natural Sciences, Dr. Mack will engage in research endeavors at The Johns Hopkins University, a research-intensive institution, with Dr. Nancy Davidson, research mentor. The Award will help Dr. Mack to achieve the following goals: 1) Develop expertise in an area of biomedical research, specifically cancer research, 2) increase the level of engagement in scholarly activities, and 3) enhance mentoring, teaching and instructional effectiveness. UMES is a historically black institution and the 1890 land-grant institution for the state of Maryland. The Department of Natural Sciences is a uniquely-designed multidisciplinary component of the University and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science. The Department has as its mission to provide rigorous curricula and a group of trained faculty with specialized expertise in various areas of study, including biomedical research. The Award will enable Dr. Mack to become an asset and make a significant contribution to the Department in the area of cancer research. Inactivation of genes that regulate cell proliferation and death is a critical part of the neoplastic process. Mechanisms for transcriptional inhibition involve methylation of cytosine-rich areas, termed CpG islands, in the 5' regulatory region of target genes, as well as histone acetylation which specifically alters chromatin structure and gene transcription. Research protocols described in this proposal investigate the possible strategy of inhibition of DNA methylation or histone deacetylation or both as methods to re-express transcnptionally silent tumor suppressor genes in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.
