I have recently received a tenure-track appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Emory University where I will be using several bioinformatics approaches for DNA microarray data analysis. This K22 Career Transition Award will enable me to utilize my unique blend of skills in software development, statistical data analysis, feedback control systems modeling, molecular biology, and cancer research. This grant award will also allow me to further broaden my molecular biological skills by generating my own microarray data from laser-capture microdissected prostate tissues and to enhance my computer skills by making my Quality Threshold clustering software widely available and usable for other researchers. The goal of the research described in this grant application is to develop and apply novel bioinformatic techniques towards improved understanding of prostate cancer progression. I have hypothesized that cellular changes essential for transformation such as increased proliferation, genomic instability, resistance to apoptosis, and androgen independence are accompanied by molecular changes in gene expression patterns. Using a combination of bioinformatic techniques, T7 amplification of laser-capture microdissected RNA samples, and DNA microarray analysis, I propose to identify genetic fingerprints associated with tumor progression and to identify potentially novel therapeutic targets. Identification of genetic profiles associated with prostatic neoplasias that are more likely to result in aggressive disease may lead to improved management of prostate cancer patients.
