Dr. Janielle Maynard, Sarah Ernst, and Eva Shrestha

Several members of the Sfanos Lab are in attendance at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Chicago, IL.

Sarah Ernst, M.S. presented an abstract on biobanking and feasibility considerations for our PCF-funded study on the gastrointestinal microbiome in metastatic, lethal prostate cancer.

Dr. Janielle Maynard is presenting an abstract on her work examining cytokines in the tumor microenvironment in prostate cancer racial disparities.

Eva Shrestha, B.A. is presenting an abstract on her work involving the development of RNA in situ hybridization techniques to localize and visualize bacteria in cancer tissues.

Great work Sarah, Janielle, and Eva!!

A new study led by members of the De Marzo lab, and including collaborators from the Prostate Cancer Biorepository Network, reports on important considerations for storage of tissues that will later be used for RNA-based studies. Bottom line, storage of FFPE blocks at room temperature may lead to misleading results, at least for the strength of RNA in situ hybridization signals as assessed in this study. Freezing blocks preserves these signals, and freezing should be considered for samples that may later be used for RNA-based assays. Read the Hopkins Medicine news release here.

New from Sfanos and De Marzo: The Inflammatory Microenvironment and Microbiome in Prostate Cancer Development

Heidi speaking during her dissertation presentation.

Congratulations to Dr. Heidi Hempel Sullivan for successfully completing all dissertation requirements for the Pathobiology graduate program at Johns Hopkins!! Heidi’s thesis is entitled “The role of mast cells in prostate cancer initiation and recurrence”. Heidi will be moving on to a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Cancer Research at the NCI. Great work Heidi!

Janielle Maynard, Ph.D.

Congratulations to Sfanos lab postdoctoral fellow Janielle Maynard, Ph.D. for receiving the 2017 John Willey Translational Research Award at the Johns Hopkins Department of Urology Prostate Cancer Research Day. Janielle presented her work entitled “The Inflammatory Microenvironment in Prostate Cancer Racial Disparities”. Great work Janielle!

Eva Shrestha, B.A. is a graduate student in the Sfanos lab.

Our new study, recently published in The Journal of Urology, examines differences in the urinary microbiome in men with and without prostate cancer.

We would like to thank the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Patrick C. Walsh Prostate Cancer Research Fund, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation for their ongoing support of our urinary microbiome studies!

Dr. Maynard highlighted on the JHU SOM Pathology departmental website.

Dr. Janielle Maynard, a post-doctoral fellow in the Sfanos lab recently began work on an Early Investigator Research Award from the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program. The Early Investigator Research Award program supports prostate cancer-focused research opportunities for individuals in the early stages of their careers. Dr. Maynard will be investigating the role of purinergic signaling and inflammation in prostate cancer racial disparities. Congratulations Dr. Maynard!

Tamirat Ali presents at the Johns Hopkins CARES Symposium

Sfanos lab summer intern Tamirat Ali participated in the Johns Hopkins Career, Academic, and Research Experiences for Students (CARES) Summer Symposium today and presented his summer project “The Role of P2X4 Receptors in Prostate Cancer”. Tamirat conducted his summer research under the mentorship of Sfanos lab postdoctoral fellow Janielle Maynard, Ph.D. Great work Tamirat!

This summer, the Sfanos lab welcomed Tamirat Ali from University of Minnesota, who is conducting a summer internship with us, Lauren Peiffer, D.V.M., who joins us as a graduate student in the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, and Borna Kassiri, a Johns Hopkins medical student who joins us as a Persky Fellow from the Department of Urology. Welcome Tamirat, Lauren, and Borna!!