Ze'ev Ronai
ronai@burnham.org

Ze'ev Ronai obtained his PhD degree in 1985 from The Hebrew University, Jerusalem Israel and performed postdoctoral research with I.B. Weinstein at the Cancer Center of Columbia University in New York. He established the Molecular Carcinogenesis Program at the American Health Foundation in Valhalla, New York, and in 1997 moved to the Ruttenberg Cancer Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where he was a tenured professor up to 2005. During 2005 Dr Ronai moved to the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla CA, where he is currently a Professor and Director of the Signal Transduction Program. Among current research interests are studies on stress response with focus on hypoxia and ER stress. The lab studies novel aspects of the stress kinases in context with the ubiquitin ligases RNF5 (ER stress), Siah (hypoxia) and ATF2 (in transcription and DNA damage response). We use melanoma as the preferred tumor model in our studies. 

Link to ZR short Biosketch

Marianna Tcherpakov

Marianna got her PhD from the Weizmann Institute in Israel and Joined the lab in 2005. Marianna is characterizing a novel protein identified in our lab, which was designated JAMP, an anchor for proteasomes recruitment to the ER (mtcherpa@burnham.org).

Gustavo Gutierrez

Gustavo got his PhD from EMBL, and joined the lab in 2005. Gustavo is interested in cell cycle control and currently study the regulation and function of JNK in cell cycle. (gustavo@burnham.org)

Amy Chen

I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology.  Currently I am a Ph.D. student in the UCSD molecular pathology program, working on regulation of cell cycle events through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (amychen@burnham.org)

Jianfei Qi

Jianfei got his PhD from the University of Toronto in 2006 and Joined the lab to study ubiquitin ligase Siah and its role in hypoxia and tumor metastasis (jianfei@burnham.org)

Hyungsoo Kim

I studied B cell differentiation during my Ph.D.in Seoul National University and then cancer biology in the first postdoc training at Cancer Research Institute. I have joined to Dr. Ronai's Lab in 2007. I am currently exploring new roles for RACK1 and Siah. (hkim@burnham.org)

Vikas K. Goel

Vikas got his Ph.D. at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, followed by post doctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston. He served as Instructor at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and scientist at Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston. Vikas joined our laboratory as a Staff scientist to study the role of ATF2 in melanoma. (vgoel@burnham.org)

Meera Shah

Meera studied the regulation of I kappa B (an inhibitor of NF-kappa B) mRNA during her Ph.D at Hannover Medical School, Germany. As a Postdoc in Ze'ev Ronai's lab, she is working on screening for inhibitors to Siah, an E3 ligase protein involved in the regulation of hypoxia regulatory proteins. (mshah@burnham.org)

 Sergei Ezhevsky

Sergei got his PhD in Cell Biology at Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.  He was trained in the field of cancer immunology at Rochester Cancer Center, Rochester, NY.  He worked for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as a Research Specialist studying cell cycle regulation at Washington University, St. Louis, MO and at UCSD, San Diego, CA.  Sergei joined our lab in 2007 as a Staff Scientist to set up HTP screen for regulators of ATF2 translocation and to study the role of ATF2 in DNA damage response using KI mice generated in the lab. (ezhevsky@burnham.org)

Antimone Dewing

Antimone is a San Diego native.  She received her M.S. from San Diego State in animal behavior in 2005.  Since graduating she has worked for the San Diego Zoo, researching mother infant behavior in pandas and grizzly bears, UCSD and VMRF as a research assistant and colony manager. Much of her research has been done in primary liver cells and in vivo using various animal models.  Antimone joined Dr. Ronai’s lab in March 2008 working with MDM2.(adewing@burnham.org)

Kathleen Alexander Juran

Kathleen was an island girl.  In 1999, after twelve years on beautiful Santa Catalina Island, she returned to the mainland to pursue her education and career.  With many years of administration experience in the medical education field, she quickly found a home coordinating the Ph.D. program at the Oregon Health and Science University within the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department.  Returning to sunny California and the warm beaches of San Diego in 2004, she then spent quality time with The Scripps Research Institute before settling into the administration of Dr. Ronai’s laboratory in 2007 (alexakat@burnham.org) 858.646.3125 (T)

Agnes Delaunay

Agnes moved to our lab in 2005 as a post doc fellow. Agnes have studied the role of RNF5 in mouse models, using Tg and KO mice. Her work established a link between RNF5, ER stress and muscular disorders, in particular inclusion body myosities. In 2008 Agnes assumed an independent position as a principle investigator at CEA in Paris.

Pablo Lopez-Bergami

Pablo joined our lab in 2002 to study the role of MAP kinases in melanoma development and progression. Pablo's work provided the foundation for understanding the nature of re-wired signal transduction pathways in melanoma, with particualr attention to ERK-JNK and PKC-JNK cross-talk. In 2008 Pablo assumed assistant professor position in Buenos Airies Argentina. 

Koh Nakayama

Koh joined our lab In 2002 as a postdoctoral fellow. Koh have established the line of research concerning the role of the Siah2 ubiquitin ligase in hypoxia. Koh has recently assumed faculty position as independent scientist in Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

Limor Broday

Limor Broday received her Ph.D in 1997 from the Technion, Israel in Plant Molecular Biology. From 1997-1999 she worked on molecular mechanism of metal toxicity at NYU Medical Center. She than joined our lab and studied the ubiquitin ligase RNF-5 using C. elegans as a model system and also explored the function of SUMO during postembryonic development. Limor has obtained a faculty position at the Dept of Cell and Dev Biology in the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, where she is currently studying RNF-5 and related proteins in C. elegans. (http://www2.tau.ac.il/Person/medicine/researcher.asp?id=aglikedil)

Serge Y Fuchs

Serge was a post doc fellow in the lab from 1994 to 1997, when he was promoted to Research Assistant Professor. As part of his post doc training Serge explored the kinaseless role of JNK in mediating the ubiquitination-dependent degradation of its non phosphorylated substrates c-Jun, ATF2 and p53. Serge was among the first group of scientists who discovered bTrCP as the E3 ligase for IkB and b-catenin. Serge has moved to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where he is now an Associate Professor and continues his studies on the regulation and function of bTrCP (http://www.med.upenn.edu/camb/faculty/cgc/fuchs.html)

Shoichi Takahashi

Shoichi received his PhD/MD from Hiroshima University in Hiroshima, Japan. While studying at the University, he worked on telomerase expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. In our Lab Shoichi discovered that ATF2 can be also phosphorylated by ATM, a finding which led to identification of ATF2 as a dual function protein – in transcription and DNA damage response. Shoichi has returned to Japan where he serves clinical function and performs research in parallel in Hiroshima University

Christine Didier

Christine received her PhD from Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, France. In our Lab, Christine studied the ubiquitin ligase RNF-5, a RING finger protein that regulates cell motility by targeting paxillin ubiquitination and altered localization. Upon completion of her studies Christine returned to France where she is now working at the Centre de Recherche en Pharmacologie-Santé, UMR 2587 CNRS in Toulouse France

 Takayuki Kadoya

Taka received his MD degree from Hiroshima University in Japan. At Hiroshima University, he was part of the second department of surgery and worked with Professor Toshimasa Asahara, specializing in breast cancer. During his post doc training in our Lab Taka characterized the newly discovered 7 transmembrane protein JAMP (JNK associated membrane protein) which resides in the ER membrane and is an RNF5 associated protein. Taka returned to Hiroshima where he continues to divide his time between clinical and research activities

Hasem Habelhah

Hasem joined the lab as a post doc after he received his PhD in Japan. In our Lab Hasem has studied the ubiquitin ligase Siah and its role in the degradation of TRAF2 and ODGC-E2. Hasem has made important finding regarding the mechanism underlying the regulation of TRAF2 stability and activity by canonical and non canonical ubiquitination. In 2005 Hasem have moved to University of Iowa where he assumed independent position as Assistant Professor. Hasem continues to study post translational modifications underlying the regulation of ATF2 functions. (http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/pathology/path_folder/faculty/hapahake/hapahake.html)

Aaron Laine

Aaron received his BS in Chemistry from Arizona State University, and joined our lab as an MD/PHD student. As part of his PhD thesis Aaron have explored novel mechanisms underlying the regulation of p53 activity, and the role of ubiquitin in regulation of p53 localization, rather than stability. Aaron completed his PhD studies in 2006 and decided to perform a post doc training with Keiji Tanaka in Tokyo before going back to medical school to complete his MD degree

Dania Alarcon-Vargas

Dania performed her Ph.D thesis in our lab, studying the mechanisms underlying the regulation of c-myc stability. She completed her requirements for Ph.D at MSSM/NYU in 2004, and continued her research as post doc fellow at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in NYC

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Anindita Bhoumik

Anindita worked in our lab for over 8 years, making major contributions to our studies with ATF2 and melanoma.  At present Anindita is working for a biotech company in San Diego specializing in stem cells.

Vladimir Ivanov, Ph.D.- Vladimir was a Research Assistant Professor in our lab. Vladimir studied the regulation of apoptosis in melanoma, with focus on TRAF, NFkB and Fas signaling pathways. Now, he's an Associate Research Professor at the Center for Radiological research at Columbia University NY.

Toshinari Minamoto -Toshi is an MD who trained as a post doc fellow in the lab from 1996-1998. At present Toshi is Professor and Head of the Division of Oncology at Kanazawa University in Japan (http://web.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/~med/e/lab/gan03.html).

Ssang Goo Cho - Ssang Goo was a post doc fellow in the lab from 2000-2001 and worked on the regulation of ATF2 by TIP49b. Ssang Goo returned to Korea where he is currently faculty member.

Susan Rutberg - Susan was post doc trainee in our lab from 1991-1995, when she moved to a scientist position at NCI. Susan moved from NCI to work as a senior scientist in Gillette corporation. Recently, Susan has relocated to Boston where she serves as a senior scientist in a startup company.

Philip Lazarus - Philip was training in our lab from 1991-1992. Philip was associate professor at H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center University of South Florida and currently serves as Associate Director of Penn State Cancer Institute (http://fred.psu.edu/ds/retrieve/fred/investigator/pul4).

Boris Fichtman, Ph.D. performed a 18 month training in our lab with focus on ATF2 and moved for a second post doc in a lab at UCSD.

Thomas Buschmann - Thomas was a post doctoral trainee from 1997 till 2001. Thomas assumed the position of a Research Director at the Europroteorue Institute in Berlin Germany.