Dr Avraham

Editor-in-Chief:  Dr Hava Avraham

Dr Hava Avraham is Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief, Division of Experimental Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Dr Avraham's main area of laboratory effort concerns signaling pathways in breast cancer. The major goals of her work are to identify novel genes and pathways regulating tumor growth and determine the role of these genes in malignancy.

In recent years, her lab has focused on signaling pathways of tyrosine kinases, such as CSK, CHK, SRC, FAK, RAFTK/Pyk2, ErbB-2 and VEGF receptors in breast cancer cells and the identification of molecular mechanisms important in breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis.

Her studies involve:
1. Functional analysis of novel tyrosine kinases and tyrosine phosphatases in hematopoietic cells.
2. Signal transduction pathways mediated by ErbB kinases, VEGF receptors, Src kinases, Csk/CHK kinases and FAK/RAFTK/Pyk2 kinases in breast cancer cells and their role in tumorigenesis and metastasis.
3. Role of BRCA1 in sporadic and inherited breast cancer.
4. Mobilization of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in cancer patients using G-CSF and  cannabinoid agonists.

Dr Avraham has received the Experienced Breast Cancer Research Award and Established investigator award from the American Heart Association. She has been a reviewer for American Heart Association and USA MRMC/CDMRP Breast research program, blood, J. Biol. Chem, Mol. Cell Biol. Biochemisty J., Cancer Research, Nature Biotechnique, several NIH study sections including a member reviewer in HT study section.  

Professor Rameshwar

Associate Editor:  Pranela Rameshwar

Professor Pranela Rameshwar obtained her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI and Rutger's University, Newark, New Jersey. Her main academic appointment is at the University of Medicine and Dentistry-New Jersey Medical School, Department of Medicine-Hematology/Oncology. Professor Rameshwar also has an appointment at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She is also a member of the joint doctoral program in Biomedical Engineer between UMDNJ and New Jersey Institute of New Jersey. Her research interests are focused on the mechanism by which breast cancer cells adapt a quiescence phenotype within the stromal compartment of bone marrow. Her laboratory also studies neural regulation of hematopoiesis; the immunology of adult human mesenchymal stem cells; and future potential for mesenchymal stem cells in various clinical disorders. Professor Rameshwar has received research grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the F.M. Kirby Foundation; New Jersey Cancer Commission; and numerous other funding agencies. She has published widely on the research related to stem cell biology and breast cancer.