Director: NIH/NCI Tumor Microenvironment Training Course eseftor@childrensmemorial.org Children's Memorial Research Center 2430 N. Halsted St Room 477 Chicago, IL 60614 Phone: (773) 755-6366 Fax: (773) 755-6594

Year		Degree		Institution
1975		Bachelor of Science in Cellular Molecular Biology		California State University, Northridge

Period		Description		Organization
June 2004 - Present		Senior Research Scientist, Children's Memorial Research Center		Children's Memorial Hospital
August 1996 - May 2004		Senior Research Specialist Dept of Anatomy & Cell Biology		University of Iowa
December 1993 - August 1996		Senior Research Associate, Pediatric Research Institute, Dept. of Pediatrics		Saint Louis University
July 1983 - August 1993		Senior Research Specialist, Dept of Anatomy and Dept of Biochemistry		University of Arizona
August 1977 - July 1983		Staff Research Associate II, Dept of Biology and Dept of Microbiology		University of California, Los Angeles
July 1975 - June 1977		Staff Research Associate I, Dept of Microbiology & Immunology		University of California, Berkeley

As part of the Mary Hendrix research team we have recently embarked on the classification and molecular profiling of tumors, especially cutaneous and ocular melanomas, based on differential gene expression (microarray analysis). Our findings based on the molecular signature of aggressive melanoma cells indicate the expression of multiple phenotypes, which appears to mimic a multi-potent, embryonic-like phenotype. One example of this tumor cell plasticity was seen in the ability of aggressive melanoma cells (but not poorly aggressive cells) to express endothelial cell-specific markers and participate in vasculogenic mimicry. The aggressive tumor cells also demonstrated the ability of deposit “molecular cues” into the basement membrane matrix of their environment that can subsequently induce poorly aggressive cells to participate in vasculogenic mimicry and express endothelial cell-specific markers. The observation that aggressive tumor cells can express multiple molecular phenotypes should lead to the development of new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for clinical intervention of cancer.

Title	Funding Source	Period	Amount	Duties
Epigenetic Effect of the Microenvironment on Stem Cell Plasticity and Function	NIH/NCI	2007 - 2012	$1,224,400	Co-I
Endothelial Transdifferation of Invasive Tumor Cells	NIH/NCI MERIT Award	2002 - 2012	$1,912,500 +2,008,700	Co-I
Biological Function(s) of Maspin	NIH/NCI	2004 - 2009	$1,278,000	Co-I
Reversal of the Disease Progression by Stem Cells	Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute (IDPH)	2006 - 2008	$213,150	Co-I, Project 1
NCI-Sponsored Tumor Microenvironment Training Site: Techniques in the Establishment and Manipulation of Organotypic Model Systems	NIH/NCI	2005 - 2007	$150,000	Co-I
Prostatic Vasculogenic Mimicry: A New Metastatic Pathway?	NIH/NCI	2001 - 2005	$1,440,600	Co-I
Regulation of Uveal Melanoma Interconverted Phenotype	NIH/NCI	1998 - 2004	$1,226,578	Co-I