Ronald Wek Lab
Indiana University
School of Medicine
Lab News
Lab News
Congratulations to Noah Sommers on receiving funding through the IUSCCC Trainee Pilot Project Proposal and receiving Honorable Mention for best graduate student poster at the IUSCCC Cancer Research Day May 2, 2024.
Posters
Sommers, Noah R.*, Cordova, Ricardo A., Law, Andrew S, Brault, Jeffery J, Pili, Roberto, Wek, Ronald, Staschke, Kirk A.
Coordination between GCN2 eIF2 kinase and p53 signaling supports purine metabolism and progression of prostate cancer. IUSCCC Cancer Research Day Indiana University Indianapolis, IN May 2, 2024 *Poster
Cordova, Ricardo, A.*, R. Sommers, Angela J. Klunk, Roberto Pili, Ronald C. Wek, and Kirk A. Staschke. GCN2 eIF2 kinase and p53 coordinate amino acid homeostasis and purine metabolism in prostate cancer. American Society for Cell Biology Cell Bio 23, Boston, MA, December 2 – 6, 2023. Abstract #X. *Poster.
Cordova, Ricardo A.*, Noah R. Sommers, Angela J. Klunk, Roberto Pili, Ronald C. Wek, and Kirk A. Staschke. 2023. GCN2 eIF2 kinase and p53 coordinate amino acid homeostasis and metabolism in prostate cancer. National Diversity in STEM Conference (SACNAS) Annual Meeting, Portland, OR. October 26 - 28, 2023. *Poster.
Sommers, Noah R.*, Ricardo A. Cordova, Angela J. Klunk, Ronald C. Wek, Kirk A. Staschke. 2023 GCN2 inhibition sensitizes prostate cancer cells to MCL-1 inhibition.Cancer Research Day, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN. May 4, 2023. *Poster #43.
Staschke, Kirk A.*, Ricardo A. Cordova, Noah R. Sommers, Angela J. Klunk, Roberto Pili, and Ronald C. Wek. 2023. GCN2 eIF2 kinase and p53 coordinate amino acid homeostasis and metabolism in prostate cancer. Cancer Research Day, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN. May 4, 2023. *Poster #7.
Cordova, Ricardo A.*, May Elbanna, Angela J. Klunk, Christopher Rupert, Li Shen, Yanqing Wang, David Goodrich, Ronald C. Wek, Kirk A. Staschke, Luigi Fontana, and Roberto Pili. Alternate-day fasting enhances the activity of anti-androgen therapy in prostate cancer models. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. April 14 - 19, 2023. Cancer Res (2023) 83 (7_Supplement): 4239. Abstract #4239, *Poster.
Cordova, Ricardo A.*, Sean Colligan, Christopher Rupert, Ronald C. Wek, Kirk A. Staschke, and Roberto Pili. Tumor PD-L1 induction associated with dietary protein restriction is modulated by PERK activation. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. April 14 - 19, 2023. Cancer Res (2023) 83 (7_Supplement): 4240. Abstract #4240, *Poster.
Cordova, Ricardo A.*, Noah R. Sommers, Angela J. Klunk, Roberto Pili, Ronald C. Wek, and Kirk A. Staschke. GCN2 eIF2 kinase and p53 coordinate amino acid homeostasis in prostate cancer. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. April 14 - 19, 2023. Cancer Res (2023) 83 (7_Supplement): 4818. Abstract #4818, *Poster.
Sommers, Noah R.*, Ricardo A. Cordova, Angela J. Klunk, Ronald C. Wek, and Kirk A. Staschke. Targeting GCN2 regulation of amino acid homeostasis sensitizes prostate cancer cells to senolytic therapies. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. April 14 - 19, 2023. Cancer Res (2023) 83 (7_Supplement): 4816. Abstract #4816, *Poster.
Presentations
Sommers, Noah, R.*, Ricardo A. Cordova, Angela J. Klunk, Ronald C. Wek, and Kirk A. Staschke. Identifying synthetic lethality in GCN2 KO tumors using an in vivoCRISPRi screen. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Day, Indianapolis, IN, September 8, 2023. *Oral presentation.
Cordova, Ricardo, A.*, R. Sommers, Angela J. Klunk, Roberto Pili, Ronald C. Wek, and Kirk A. Staschke. GCN2 eIF2 kinase and p53 coordinate amino acid homeostasis and purine metabolism in prostate cancer. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Day, Indianapolis, IN, September 8, 2023. *Oral presentation.
Cordova, Ricardo A.*, Jagannath Misra, Angela J. Klunk, Marcus J. Miller, Tracy G. Anthony, Roberto Pili, Kirk A. Staschke, and Ronald C. Wek. 2023. GCN2 eIF2 kinase promotes prostate cancer by maintaining amino acid homeostasis. Gordon Research Conference, Polyamines in Cancer, Medical Genetics, Aging, Pathogens, and Plants, Waterville Valley, NH. June 25 - 30, 2023. *Oral Presentation.
Graduate students
Noah Sommers 2022-present
Miguel Barriera Diaz 2019-present (joint student - Dr Dan Spandau)
Ricardo Cordova PhD 2024 postdoc Princeston Univ
Riaz Alam 2017-present
(LGRAD - Lilly Graduate Research Advance Degree) Eli Lilly
Dr Neil McCracken PhD 2023 Elanco (joint student - Dr Amber Mosley)
Dr Kenneth Carlson PhD 2022 Postdoc Eli Lilly
Haroon Mohiuddin summer 2022 - IMPRS program (IU Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship)
Dr Parth Amin PhD 2022 Tome Biosciences
Dr Rebecca Miles PhD 2021 Eli Lilly
(LGRAD - Lilly Graduate Research Advance Degree)
Dr Annie Collier PhD 2017, Genentech (joint student - Dr Dan Spandau)
Dr Jeff Willy PhD 2016, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
(LGRAD - Lilly Graduate Research Advance Degree) Eli Lilly
Dr Mike Fusakio PhD 2016 , Halloran Consulting Group Inc
Mohammed Alzahrani MS 2016
Dr Sara Young PhD 2016 Uniformed Services University
Dr Tom Baird PhD 2015, Scientist US Health and Human Services
Dr Brian Teske PhD 2012, Eli Lilly
Dr Souvik Dey PhD 2012, WuXi Advanced Therapeutics
Dr Reddy Palam PhD 2012 IU School of Medicine
Dr Donghui Zhou PhD 2010 IU School of Medicine
Dr Kirk Staske PhD 2010 IU School of Medicine
Dr Ke Zhan PhD 2003 Menarini Silicon Biosystems
Dr Kun Ma PhD 2002
Dr Ruchira Sood PhD 2000 Lyra Health
Dr Ruojing Yang PhD 2000 Nested Therapeutics
Dr Shuhao Zhu PhD 1997 Guardian Therapeutics
Weijin Qian MS 1996
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr Vishakha Dey 2023 - present (joint with Dr William Sullivan Jr.)
Dr Vanessa Severo 2023 - present (joint with Dr William Sullivan Jr.)
Dr Jagannath Misra 2017-2023 IU School of Medicine
Dr Leo Augusto 2016-2020 University of Nebraska Medical Center (joint with Dr William Sullivan Jr.)
Dr Michael Holmes 2015-2022 IU School of Medicine (joint with Dr William Sullivan Jr.)
Dr Imaan Benmerzouga 2013-2015 (joint with Dr William Sullivan Jr.)
Dr Christian Konrad 2009-2013 Thermo Fisher Scientific (joint with Dr William Sullivan Jr.)
Dr Hongzhen He 2008-2012 (joint with Dr Millie Georgiadis)
Dr Brad Joyce 2007-2013 Purdue University (joint with Dr William Sullivan Jr.)
Dr Hao-Yuan Jiang 2002-2004
Dr Karen Gregson 2001
Dr Amy Porter 1998-1999
Dr Jana Narasimhan 1998-2006 PTC Therapeutics
Dr Krishna Vattem 1998-2004 Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dr Alexander Sobolev 1992-1993