Ganem Lab
Principal Investigator: Neil J. Ganem
Institution: Boston Medical Center (Boston, MA)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Precise regulation of cell growth and proliferation is necessary to maintain tissue homeostasis and organ size, and this regulation is predominantly controlled by two highly conserved signaling pathways: the Hippo and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Deregulation of the Hippo and/or mTOR pathways cause tissue overgrowth phenotypes that are well known to contribute to human disease. Understanding how the Hippo and mTOR signaling pathways coordinate their activities is therefore a critically important, yet poorly understood, area of cell biology. In the last funding period, my group identified the kinase STK25 as an upstream activator of the Hippo signaling pathway that directly phosphorylates and activates the core Hippo kinases LATS1 and LATS2 to induce cell cycle arrest. We have now generated strong preliminary data indicating that activation of STK25 also functions to dampen mTORC1 signaling, both in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism by which STK25 regulates mTORC1 is unknown. The goal of this proposal is to combine cell biology, biochemistry, CRISPR-screening, and animal model methodologies to test our overarching hypothesis that th…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01GM117150-07: Regulation of cell growth and proliferation by the Hippo pathway (2026)
- 5R01CA274743-04: Mechanisms of cell proliferation in whole-genome doubled cells (2025)
- 2R01GM117150-06A1: Regulation of cell growth and proliferation by the Hippo pathway (2025)
- 5R01CA274743-03: Mechanisms of cell proliferation in whole-genome doubled cells (2024)
- 3R01CA274743-03S1: Mechanisms of cell proliferation in whole-genome doubled cells (2024)
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