Genetics & Epigenetics Newsletter 2019 The greatest export of scientists: What’s Inside? A child-like way of seeing the world 2 Director’s by Michael Galko, PhD Message Professor, Department of Genetics, MD Anderson 3 New Students, Childhood is often described as a time of wonder. I biology outlined, often through the correspondence Faculty & grew up on the Rhode Island shore in the seventies- of the participating scientists, the discovery of DNA Class of 2019 well before helicopter parenting was invented. structure and the experiments that unraveled the 4 Alumni Feature It was a feral youth- with long central dogma of genetic stretches of time spent floating inheritance: DNA > RNA 6 Program Events barefoot on a small rowboat > Protein. I was fascinated 9 Student on the tidal salt ponds of the by this new “indirect” Publication Rhode Island shore. I spent way of interrogating the Highlights day after day essentially doing world through experiments 10 Student & Faculty one thing with my brothers that could be interpreted Awards and cousins- exploring and as favoring or ruling out a watching the world around hypothesis. 11 Announcements us. We observed fish of many Laboratory courses in 12 Houston Food types; green crabs and blue college got me even more Scene crabs; seaweed; shorebirds; excited by science. Looking the pond itself, its tides down a proper microscope and sand bars and shifting for the first time at various types channels. If asked then what I wanted to be when I of cells was, simply put, a revelation. Just like fish grew up I probably would have invented something or other animals, you could identify cells by the Genetics & standard- but in reality I wanted what I already had- way they looked and how they grouped themselves to spend my days interacting with and observing the with respect to their neighbors. There were square Epigenetics world. What I enjoyed was simply looking at things cells packed like bricks (epithelia), round cells that 2019 Program and trying to understand them. wandered alone (macrophages), and spindly cells Retreat As a teenager my family that reminded of a tangled electrical power station “Often, the moved to Texas. My (neurons). I was hooked and for the first time in scientific high school chemistry my life I thought- here is something worth doing- capacity for and biology teachers spending my days looking through a microscope and November wonder infuses taught challenging determining how these different cells behave and fit other aspects classes that sparked my themselves to the microscopic world about them. 8-9, 2019 of our lives.” first interest in science. It seemed like becoming a scientist When I went to college would allow a rare luxury- to I had no idea what it continue looking at the world in The San Luis might mean to be a scientist for a profession. I had a wonder even as an adult. Resort vague idea of becoming a marine biologist- it seemed When I think of my colleagues, Galveston, TX like it might be similar to my youthful days fishing, my past students and postdocs, swimming, and avoiding chores. Because I was and myself, there are many starting to think about a life in science my collegiate superficial qualities that distinguish us. How cell biology professor recommended a thick book- we grew up. Where we trained. Who originally “The Eighth Day of Creation” by Horace Freeland inspired us to go into science. This has led to a Judson. This history of the early days of molecular diversity of scientific topics that inspire us- DNA Illustrations by Melinda Soeung Continued on page 11 https://gsbs.uth.edu/genetics-and-epigenetics From the Director’s Desk... When we think of what makes for a strong places emphasis on the regular mentoring of trainees through student graduate program it is hard to know committees, in combination with other experiences. For example, we where to start - there are many qualities encourage participation in national meetings and courses, as they expand that make a difference. But, one essential one’s network and will help place your contributions in the context of element is the people who promote the the field. scientific careers, as well as individual Finally, even with a strong environment and group of colleagues, so welfare, of our graduate trainees. Our much of one’s experience remains up to each of us as individuals. In students are in turn at the center of who our Texas Medical Center with its wealth of institutions, a rich array of we are, and make possible lasting research potential collaborators awaits you, and as importantly, idea-providers advances. G&E has a large faculty spread that could enhance the impact of your research or otherwise further across multiple departments within MD your training. While it may require your resolve to step away from one’s Anderson and UTHealth. It benefits from comfort-zone on a weekly basis to attend lectures or read articles in the amazing folks at the GSBS, as well as in other parts of our institutions, diverse scientific areas, G&E will try to insist you do so. Such unexpected such as those who contribute as postdocs (e.g. who often engage in day- outside viewpoints, or perhaps new approaches introduced, will push to-day mentoring of students), staff (e.g. enabling the organization of your thesis work forward, or help you think about career stages following student events and travels), and those in administration (e.g. providing your time in graduate school. funding of our graduate school and its programs, and procuring visas). We will end by thanking all those inside and outside of G&E who help An aspect of G&E that you will notice is the level of graduate student make our community what it is – it takes a village! ;). involvement in pulling together and running many educational events, from monthly student seminar series to major annual program retreats Pierre McCrea, PhD and symposia. We take this as a sign that we are on the right track, and G&E Program Director would welcome newly arriving and curious trainees to reach out and Professor, Department of Genetics participate in G&E scientific exchanges during their first and hopefully MD Anderson Cancer Center following years, as well as social and outreach events, with some such events being mentioned or highlighted in this newsletter. Feel free to turn to one of us, or the G&E website or social media, to learn of our emphasis upon exploring fundamental biological questions. In brief, our laboratories address the mechanisms that drive cancer as well as other pathologies, or alternatively, that enable normal development or G&E Program Director homeostasis. Because the G&E program stands out in applying multiple animal model systems, it has the potential to offer additional depths of Pierre McCrea, PhD Professor, Department of Genetics insight, as well as fun through collaborations (e.g. we work with mice, MD Anderson Cancer Center primary or cultured cell lines, zebrafish, C. elegans/ nematodes, Xenopus Office: BSRB S9.8136A laevis/ frogs, yeast, bats and more). In brief, we foster a collegial and Phone: 713-834-6277 interactive environment in which students develop their experimental Email: [email protected] reasoning, communication and networking skills, while they mature their core scientific knowledge. G&E Program Co-Director While we live in a world where there are many opportunities for graduate Jichao Chen, PhD students at an early stage, there may also be some uncertainties. For Associate Professor, Dept. of Pulmonary example, a sizable portion of incoming graduate students are curious Medicine – Research about academics and at the same time other areas, such as biotech/ MD Anderson Cancer Center pharma, scientific policy, intellectual property and more. How does Office: IBT7.703 one prepare oneself, or decide between such multiple interests? While Phone: 713-745-0630 Email: [email protected] no one answer will suffice, the last sentence of the prior paragraph is what G&E aims and hopes to achieve while a trainee is with us. G&E The Genetics & Epigenetics (G&E) newsletter is published by the G&E Graduate Program at the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Houston, Texas. Editors: Pranavi Koppula and Melinda Soeung Editorial Assistance: Elisabeth Lindheim Website: https://gsbs.uth.edu/genetics-and-epigenetics Illustrations not credited are by Pranavi Koppula (except the plane). 2 New Students Joining the G&E Community L-R: Frederick Robinson (Dr. Giulio Draetta), Ahmed Emam (Dr. Bin Wang), L-R: Tanner Wright (Dr. Mark Bedford), Jace Aloway (Dr. Richard Behringer), Raisa Reyes Castro (Dr. Swathi Arur), Melissa Frasca (Dr. Francesca Cole) Mabel Perez-Oquendo (Dr. Don Gibbons) Not Pictured: Han Bit Baek (Dr. Swathi Arur), Archit Ghosh (Dr. Kunal Rai), Diana Machado (Dr. Richard Behringer), Sreepadha Sridharan (Dr. Vidya Gopalakrishnan), Amber Thomas Gordon (Dr. Jan Parker Thornburg), Hanghui Ye (Nicholas Navin), Jie Ye (Dr. Jianjun Zhang) Welcome New G&E Faculty! Class of 2019 Yejing Ge, PhD Hsueh-Ping Chao, PhD (Advisor: Dr. Dean Tang) Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, Thesis: Integrative bioinformatic approaches to elucidating MD Anderson prostate cancer cell heterogeneity plasticity and treatment response Data Scientist, Pheramor/Business Development Assoc, MyBioGate Research Interests: Understanding stem cell lineage plasticity in skin wound repair, Kevin Farquhar, PhD (Advisor: Dr. Gabor Balazsi Thesis: The role of gene expression noise in mammalian cell survival cancer & aging. Position to be decided Aimee Farria, PhD (Advisor: Dr. Sharon Dent) Edwin Ostrin, MD, PhD Thesis: GCN5 loss impacts MYC-driven cancer in mice and human cells Assistant Professor, Department of General Internal Postdoctoral Fellow, MD Anderson (Dr.