OHSU

Molly F. Kulesz-Martin, Ph.D.

Head Shot of Molly Kulesz-Martin

Background

No matter how much we discover about the fascinating workings of the human body, there is always more to know and more we can do for people suffering from diseases. This fact motivates me to pursue my research. I am interested in the molecules responsible for cell survival and maturation into the exquisitely functional inside and outside surfaces of the body. These cells are the sources of most human cancers, including those that are the most difficult to treat. Early in my career as a researcher, I found ways to mimic the process of cancer development outside the body and to identify cancer precursor cells before they became visible as a tumor. As an established researcher, it is a special privilege for me to build upon this earlier work with young scientists at OHSU, engaging their passion and skills for discovery in projects that will help us better understand how cancers develop and how to treat cancer patients more successfully. Using tools provided at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, my team and I have identified specific changes that occur in the molecular progression to cancer and metastasis. These include alterations in enzymes that "tag" tumor suppressing proteins and determine not only their lifetime in the cell but also the lifetime of the cell as a whole. If these tagging proteins are altered, abnormal cells can survive and even thrive under stress from carcinogens and inflammation, outgrowing normal boundaries and ignoring regulatory cues from neighboring cells.


Selected Publications

"Montagna Symposium 2010: small molecules: skin as the first line of defense.," The Journal of investigative dermatology (Vol: 131, Issue: 11, Page 2166-8) - 2011

"Regulation of the psoriatic chemokine CCL20 by E3 ligases Trim32 and Piasy in keratinocytes.," The Journal of investigative dermatology (Vol: 130, Issue: 5, Page 1384-90) - 2010

"Montagna Symposium 2009: Genetic-epigenetic Basis of Skin Diseases.," The Journal of investigative dermatology (Vol: 130, Issue: 5, Page 1199-201) - 2010

"Montagna symposium 2008: the biologic basis of psoriasis.," The Journal of investigative dermatology (Vol: 129, Issue: 2, Page 259-60) - 2009

"p73 expression modulates p63 and Mdm2 protein presence in complex with p53 family-specific DNA target sequence in squamous cell carcinogenesis.," Oncogene (Vol: 27, Issue: 19, Page 2780-7) - 2008

 

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Contact

  Email Molly Kulesz-Martin

503 418-4273

Memberships & Associations

American Association for Cancer Research
Society for Investigative Dermatology
Associate Editor and Member of Editorial Board: Carcinogenesis, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Molecular and Cellular Differentiation
Charter Member, Cancer Molecular Pathobiology Committee
Other National Institutes of Health technical review committees
Director, Montagna Symposium on the Biology of the Skin

My research network

  • Yuangang Liu, Ph.D.
  • Rosalie Sears, Ph.D.
  • Shannon McWeeney, Ph.D.
  • Clifton White, M.D.
  • Philip Stork
  • Christopher Corless
  • Steven Jacques, Ph.D.