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An NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Research
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Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD)-related HCC develops without liver cirrhosis and alcohol consumption. Perturbations in liver lipid disposal pathways, in particular dysregulation of hepatic ketogenesis, contributes to the pathogenesis of NAFLD and fibrosis. Conversely, ketogenic diet (KD) supplementation decreases liver lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis in NAFLD models. Our lab is interested in understanding how ketone bodies or ketogenesis regulate NAFLD-related HCC. We have liver specific ketogenesis insufficient and ketolysis insufficient mice to test our hypothesis.
Dr. Rinaldo's research is focused on the relation of disease progression to dendritic cell function and reactivity of CD8 killer T cells to HIV and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8, or KSHV, the cause of Kaposi's sarcoma).
Our team’s research is focused on the factors that ensure that all women with breast cancer receive timely diagnoses, treatment, and support. Our research, education, and outreach initiatives are directed toward Black women with breast cancer, women with metastatic breast cancer, and community engagement to address racial and economic breast cancer survival disparity. Our team is well-published, with over 130 publications and multiple national and international presentations disseminating the results of our research. The Symptom Experience, Management, and Outcomes According to Race and Social Determinants of Health during Breast Cancer Chemotherapy (SEMOARS) study is a multi-site R01-funded study comparing the symptom incidence and distress, symptom reporting methods and outcomes, including the ability to receive the full dose of prescribed chemotherapy between Black and White women as they proceed through chemotherapy. Genetics, epigenetics, and pharmacogenomics are areas of further exploration..Our Ubuntu Pittsburgh Project (UPP) (Pittsburgh Foundation) for Black women with metastatic breast cancer living in the Pittsburgh Area has offered support, legacy building, and family support to women and their families. We are currently pilot-testing this program in the Pittsburgh area.
With the support of the Genentech Health Equity Grant (2020-2022), we led an initiative in cancer as a canvas for all researchers to collaborate in basic and behavioral research to better understand the influence of neighborhood deprivation, discrimination, and lifetime allostasis, measured through telomere length, allostatic load, and immune markers on cancer outcomes. This initiative, Exploring Allostasis, Cellular Aging, and Cancer Outcomes, was renewed for an additional three years (2023- 2025) and is now incorporating all regional patients with cancers in which survival disparities are present.
In collaboration with Magee Womens Hospital, our team leads the Support, Education, and Advocacy Program for Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC/SEA Program). We developed and maintained a database of 2,000 women with metastatic breast cancer. These findings informed the development of a successful nurse-led primary palliative care intervention for all patients with metastatic breast cancer seen at Magee Women's Hospital. We are partners and leaders in the Allegheny County Breast Cancer Equity Project, a community outreach program that seeks to assist women in underserved communities to access existing breast cancer resources. In response to local data, plans are to utilize students from the School of Public Health and senior-level student nurses to offer education and support in a structured Community Health clinical.
The overall research focus of the Roy laboratory is studying the role of actin-binding proteins and actin-regulated transcription factors in physiological and pathological events. Specific focus areas are actin-binding proteins (profilin, Ena/VASP) and their regulation, MRTF-SRF transcriptional axis, fundamental mechanisms of cell migration, cancer biology (breast and renal cancer), cell signaling, vascular-immune cell crosstalk, and angiogenesis (in both developmental and pathological settings). We seek to a.) understand molecular mechanisms of various aspects of cancer metastasis, regulation of tumor microenvironment and therapy response of cancer cells, and b.) Discover novel therapeutic agents. Our laboratory uses a variety of experimental approaches including CRISPR/RNAi, protein-protein interactions, 2D gel electrophoresis, genetically engineered mouse models of cancer and angiogenesis, mouse models of atherosclerosis, tumor xenografts, metastasis assays, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo angiogenesis assays, functional genomics and proteomics, live-cell imaging at single cell level, computationally-guided small molecule screening and bioinformatics.
Dr. Rubin is a noted expert on adult stem cells derived from fat tissue and advanced reconstructive surgery. Dr. Rubin leads a program that is devising innovative strategies for the use of adipose (fat)-derived stem cells to not only address problems of tissue regeneration but also other diseases that benefit from stem cell-based therapies. He is co-director of the Adipose Stem Cell Center and co-director of the UPMC Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Center. His laboratory research focuses on applications of adult adipose-derived stem cells for restoring damaged tissues after trauma and cancer therapy. He currently is the lead investigator for clinical trials using technologies designed to improve the lives of wounded military personnel. He recently founded and directs the Center for Innovation in Restorative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, an advanced clinical accelerator unit with expertise in regulatory affair, preclinical testing, and clinical trials design and management.
I am a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and a health services researcher. I have a masters of science in clinical epidemiology. My research focuses on investigating social determinants of health (SDOH) as it relates to pediatric cancer access, care, and outcomes with the goal of eliminating health disparities in this population. Previous projects include investigating infectious complications in children with leukemia by an area-based measure of SDOH and clinical trial enrollment disparities. An ongoing project is investigating how preferred language as documented in the electronic medical record impacts infectious complications in children with leukemia. I am establishing my research program here focused on caregiver-clinician communication with families who speak a language other than English and how this impacts their care and outcomes.
