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Cheryl L. Walker, PhD

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Ruth and Walter Sterling Professor of Carcinogenesis, Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park - Research Division, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center,, Smithville, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Adjunct Professor and Member, Center for Molecular and Cellular Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Visiting Member, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1984 University of Texas Health Science Center, Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, PHD, Cell Biology
1977 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, BA, Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology

Postgraduate Training

1984-1988 Staff Fellow, National Institute of Environmental Health Science, Research Triangle Park, NC, Drs. Paul Nettesheim and J. Carl Barrett, Laboratory of Pulmonary Pathobiology

Experience/Service

Academic Appointments

Associate Director, Office of Gynecological Disease, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1998-2002
Professor, Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park - Research Division, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park, Research Division, Smithville, TX, 1998-2002
Director, NIEHS Center for Research on Environmental Disease, Genetics & Epigenetics of Early Life Exposures, Smithville, TX, 1996-present
Associate Professor, Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park - Research Division, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, 1992-1998
Assistant Professor, Department of Toxicology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 1990-1992
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 1989-1992
Scientist I, Department of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1988-1992

Institutional Committee Activities

Member, Executive Committee, Center of Excellence for Epigenetic Research, 2007-present
Member, Internal Advisory Committee, U54 "Partnership for Excellence in Cancer Research" The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and The University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UPRCC), 2007-present
Co-Director, CCSG Program in Environmental and Molecular Carcinogenesis, 2007-present

Honors and Awards

2009-present Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Professor, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
2009-2010 President, Society of Toxicology, Society of Toxicology
2007-present LAM Foundation, Established Investigator Award, LAM Foundation
2006 Dallas/Fort Worth Living Legend Faculty Achievement Award in Basic Research

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Blando J, Portis M, Benavides F, Alexander A, Mills G, Dave B, Conti CJ, Kim J, Walker CL. PTEN deficiency is fully penetrant for prostate adenocarcinoma in C57BL/6 mice via mTOR-dependent growth. Am J Pathol 174(5):1869-79, 5/2009. PMCID: PMC2671275.
2. Hassan M, Zhang D, Salama S, Hamada F, Arafa H, Fouad H, Walker C, Al-Hendy A. Towards fibroid gene therapy: Adenovirus mediated delivery of herpes simplex virus 1 thymidine kinase gene/ganciclovir shrinks uterine leiomyoma in the Eker rat model. Gynecol Obstet Invest 68(1):19-32, 3/2009. PMID: 19325244.
3. Yu J, Robb VA, Morrison TA, Ariazi EA, Karbowniczek M, Astrinidis A, Wang C, Hernandez-Cuebas L, Seeholzer LF, Nicholas E, Hensley H, Jordan VC, Walker CL, Henske EP. Estrogen promotes the survival and pulmonary metastasis of tuberin-null cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106(8):2635-40, 2/2009. e-Pub 2/2009. PMCID: PMC2637277.
4. Kim J, Jonasch E, Alexander A, Short JD, Cai S, Wen S, Tsavachidou D, Tamboli P, Czerniak BA, Do KA, Wu KJ, Marlow LA, Wood CG, Copland JA and Walker CL. Cytoplasmic sequestration of p27 via AKT phosphorylation in renal cell carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 15(1):81-90, 1/2009. NIHMSID: NIHMS118521.
5. Crain DA, Janssen SJ, Edwards TM, Heindel J, Ho SM, Hunt P, Iguchi T, Juul A, McLachlan JA, Schwartz J, Skakkebaek N, Soto AM, Swan S, Walker C, Woodruff TK, Woodruff TJ, Giudice LC, Guillette LJ, Jr. Female reproductive disorders: The roles of endocrine-disrupting compounds and developmental timing. Fertil Steril 90(4):911-40, 10/2008. PMID: 18929049.
6. Greathouse KL, Cook JD, Lin K, Davis BJ, Berry TD, Bredfeldt TG, Walker CL. Identification of uterine leiomyoma genes developmentally reprogrammed by neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol. Reprod Sci 15(8):765-78, 10/2008. PMID: 19017814.
7. Short JD, Houston KD, Dere R, Cai SL, Kim J, Johnson CL, Broaddus RR, Shen J, Miyamoto S, Tamanoi F, Kwiatkowski D, Mills GB, Walker CL. AMP-activated protein kinase signaling results in cytoplasmic sequestration of p27. Cancer Res 68(16):6496-506, 8/2008. PMID: 18701472.
8. McCampbell AS, Walker CL, Broaddus RR, Cook JD, Davies PJ. Developmental reprogramming of IGF signaling and susceptibility to endometrial hyperplasia in the rat. Lab Invest 88(6):615-26, 6/2008. PMID: 18427555.
9. Lu KH, Wu W, Dave B, Slomovitz BM, Burke TW, Munsell MF, Broaddus RR, Walker CL. Loss of tuberous sclerosis complex-2 function and activation of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in endometrial carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 14(9):2543-50, 5/2008. PMID: 18451215.
10. Isobe A, Takeda T, Sakata M, Miiyake A, Yamamoto T, Minekawa R, Nishimoto F, Oskamoto Y, Walker CL, Kimura T. Dual repressive effect of angiotensin II-type 1 receptor blocker telmisartan on angiotensin II-induced and estradiol-induced uterine leiomyoma cell proliferation. Hum Reprod 23(2):440-6, 2/2008. PMID: 17993476.
11. Wei C, Amos CI, Zhang N, Wang X, Rashid A, Walker CL, Behringer RR, Frazier ML. Suppression of Peutz-Jeghers polyposis by targeting mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. Clin Cancer Res 14(4):1167-71, 2/2008. PMID: 18281551.
12. Laping NJ, Everitt JI, Frazier KS, Burgert M, Portis MJ, Cadacio C, Gold LI, Walker CL. Tumor-specific efficacy of transforming growth factor-beta RI inhibition in Eker rats. Clin Cancer Res 13(10):3087-99, 5/2007. PMID: 17505012.
13. Ptacek T, Song C, Walker CL, Sell SM. Physical mapping of distinct 7q22 deletions in uterine leiomyoma and analysis of a recently annotated 7q22 candidate gene. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 174(2):116-20, 4/2007. PMID: 17452252.
14. Cook JD, Davis BJ, Goewey JA, Berry TD, Walker CL. Identification of a sensitive period for developmental programming that increases risk for uterine leiomyoma in eker rats. Reprod Sci 14(2):121-36, 2/2007. PMID: 17636224.
15. Liang J, Shao SH, Xu ZX, Hennessy B, Ding Z, Larrea M, Kondo S, Dumont DJ, Gutterman JU, Walker CL, Slingerland JM, Mills GB. The energy sensing LKB1-AMPK pathway regulates p27(kip1) phosphorylation mediating the decision to enter autophagy or apoptosis. Nat Cell Biol 9(2):218-24, 2/2007. PMID: 17237771.
16. Hall WC, Elder B, Walker CL, Cai S, Peters DG, Goodman DG, Ulland BM, Borzelleca JF. Spontaneous renal tubular hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions in three sprague-dawley rats from a 90-day toxicity study. Toxicologic Pathology 35(2):233-41, 2007. PMID: 17366317.
17. Mally A, Walker CL, Everitt JI, Dekant W, Vamvakas S. Analysis of renal cell transformation following exposure to trichloroethene in vivo and its metabolite S-(dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine in vitro. Toxicology 224(1-2):108-18, 7/2006. PMID: 16730402.
18. Cai SL, Tee AR, Short JD, Bergeron JM, Kim J, Shen J, Guo R, Johnson CL, Kiguchi K, Walker CL. Activity of TSC2 is inhibited by AKT-mediated phosphorylation and membrane partitioning. J Cell Biol 173(2):279-89, 4/2006. PMCID: PMC2063818.
19. Cook JD, Davis BJ, Cai SL, Barrett JC, Conti CJ, Walker CL. Interaction between genetic susceptibility and early-life environmental exposure determines tumor-suppressor-gene penetrance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102(24):8644-9, 6/2005. PMCID: PMC1150843.
20. Walker CL, Stewart EA. Uterine fibroids: the elephant in the room. Science 308(5728):1589-92, 6/2005. PMID: 15947177.
21. Cook JD, Walker CL. Treatment strategies for uterine leiomyoma: the role of hormonal modulation. Semin Reprod Med 22(2):105-11, 5/2004. PMID: 15164305.
22. Melnikova VO, Bolshakov SV, Walker C, Ananthaswamy HN. Genomic alterations in spontaneous and carcinogen-induced murine melanoma cell lines. Oncogene 23(13):2347-56, 3/2004. PMID: 14743208.
23. Kleymenova E, Everitt JI, Pluta L, Portis M, Gnarra JR, Walker CL. Susceptibility to vascular neoplasms but no increased susceptibility to renal carcinogenesis in Vhl knockout mice. Carcinogenesis 25(3):309-15, 3/2004. PMID: 14604887.
24. Huang Q, Yang J, Lin Y, Walker C, Cheng J, Liu ZG, Su B. Differential regulation of interleukin 1 receptor and Toll-like receptor signaling by MEKK3. Nat Immunol 5(1):98-103, 1/2004. PMID: 14661019.
25. Walker CL, Hunter D, Everitt JI. Uterine leiomyoma in the Eker rat: A unique model for important diseases of women. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 38(4):349-56, 12/2003. PMID: 14566855.
26. Burke TW, Walker CL. Arzoxifene as therapy for endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol 90(2 Pt 2):S40-6, 8/2003. PMID: 12928005.
27. Finlay GA, Hunter DS, Walker CL, Paulson KE, Fanburg BL. Regulation of PDGF production and ERK activation by estrogen is associated with TSC2 gene expression. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 285(2):C409-18, 8/2003. PMID: 12700139.
28. Liu MY, Poellinger L, Walker CL. Up-regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 2alpha in renal cell carcinoma associated with loss of Tsc-2 tumor suppressor gene. Cancer Res 63(10):2675-80, 5/2003. PMID: 12750296.
29. Houston KD, Copland JA, Broaddus RR, Gottardis MM, Fischer SM, Walker CL. Inhibition of proliferation and estrogen receptor signaling by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligands in uterine leiomyoma. Cancer Res 63(6):1221-7, 3/2003. PMID: 12649180.
30. Cai S, Everitt JI, Kugo H, Cook J, Kleymenova E, Walker CL. Polycystic kidney disease as a result of loss of the tuberous sclerosis 2 tumor suppressor gene during development. Am J Pathol 162(2):457-68, 2/2003. PMCID: PMC1851170.
31. Hodges LC, Cook JD, Lobenhofer EK, Li L, Bennett L, Bushel PR, Aldaz CM, Afshari CA, Walker CL. Tamoxifen functions as a molecular agonist inducing cell cycle-associated genes in breast cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res 1(4):300-11, 2/2003. PMID: 12612058.
32. Cesen-Cummings K, Houston KD, Copland JA, Moorman VJ, Walker CL, Davis BJ. Uterine leiomyomas express myometrial contractile-associated proteins involved in pregnancy-related hormone signaling. J Soc Gynecol Investig 10(1):11-20, 1/2003. PMID: 12517588.
33. Astrinidis A, Cash TP, Hunter DS, Walker CL, Chernoff J, Henske EP. Tuberin, the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 tumor suppressor gene product, regulates Rho activation, cell adhesion and migration. Oncogene 21(55):8470-6, 12/2002. PMID: 12466966.
34. Liu MY, Cai S, Espejo A, Bedford MT, Walker CL. 14-3-3 interacts with the tumor suppressor tuberin at Akt phosphorylation site(s). Cancer Res 62(22):6475-80, 11/2002. PMID: 12438239.
35. Hodges LC, Houston KD, Hunter DS, Fuchs-Young R, Zhang Z, Wineker RC, Walker CL. Transdominant suppression of estrogen receptor signaling by progesterone receptor ligands in uterine leiomyoma cells. Mol Cell Endocrinol 196(1-2):11-20, 10/2002. PMID: 12385821.
36. Yoon HS, Monks TJ, Everitt JI, Walker CL, Lau SS. Cell proliferation is insufficient, but loss of tuberin is necessary, for chemically induced nephrocarcinogenicity. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 283(2):F262-70, 8/2002. PMID: 12110509.
37. Goncharova EA, Goncharov DA, Eszterhas A, Hunter DS, Glassberg MK, Yeung RS, Walker CL, Noonan D, Kwiatkowski DJ, Chou MM, Panettieri RA, Jr, Krymskaya VP. Tuberin regulates p70 S6 kinase activation and ribosomal protein S6 phosphorylation. A role for the TSC2 tumor suppressor gene in pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). J Biol Chem 277(34):30958-67, 8/2002. PMID: 12045200.
38. Hunter DS, Klotzbucher M, Kugoh H, Cai SL, Mullen JP, Manfioletti G, Fuhrman U, Walker CL. Aberrant expression of HMGA2 in uterine leiomyoma associated with loss of TSC2 tumor suppressor gene function. Cancer Res 62(13):3766-72, 7/2002. PMID: 12097287.
39. Irani C, Goncharova EA, Hunter DS, Walker CL, Panettieri RA, Krymskaya VP. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase but not tuberin is required for PDGF-induced cell migration. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 282(4):L854-62, 4/2002. PMID: 11880313.
40. Kugoh H, Kleymenova E, Walker CL. Retention of membrane-localized beta-catenin in cells lacking functional polycystin-1 and tuberin. Mol Carcinog 33(3):131-6, 3/2002. PMID: 11870878.
41. Burroughs KD, Howe SR, Okubo Y, Fuchs-Young R, LeRoith D, Walker CL. Dysregulation of IGF-I signaling in uterine leiomyoma. J Endocrinol 172(1):83-93, 1/2002. PMID: 11786376.
42. Walker CL. Role of hormonal and reproductive factors in the etiology and treatment of uterine leiomyoma. Recent Prog Horm Res 57:277-94, 2002. PMID: 12017548.
43. Walker CL, Cesen-Cummings K, Houle C, Baird D, Barrett JC, Davis B. Protective effect of pregnancy for development of uterine leiomyoma. Carcinogenesis 22(12):2049-52, 12/2001. PMID: 11751438.
44. Xu H, Shen J, Walker CL, Kleymenova E. Tissue-specific expression and splicing of the rat polycystic kidney disease 1 gene. DNA Seq 12(5-6):361-6, 12/2001. PMID: 11913782.
45. Yoon HS, Monks TJ, Walker CL, Lau SS. Transformation of kidney epithelial cells by quinol-thioethers via inactivation of the tuberous sclerosis-2 tumor suppressor gene. Mol Carcinog 31(1):37-45, 5/2001. PMID: 11398196.
46. Kleymenova E, Ibraghimov-Beskrovnaya O, Kugoh H, Everitt J, Xu H, Kiguchi K, Landes G, Harris P, Walker C. Tuberin-dependent membrane localization of polycystin-1: a functional link between polycystic kidney disease and the TSC2 tumor suppressor gene. Mol Cell 7(4):823-32, 4/2001. PMID: 11336705.
47. Lau SS, Monks TJ, Everitt JI, Kleymenova E, Walker CL. Carcinogenicity of a nephrotoxic metabolite of the "nongenotoxic" carcinogen hydroquinone. Chem Res Toxicol 14(1):25-33, 1/2001. PMID: 11170505.
48. Burroughs KD, Fuchs-Young R, Davis B, Walker CL. Altered hormonal responsiveness of proliferation and apoptosis during myometrial maturation and the development of uterine leiomyomas in the rat. Biol Reprod 63(5):1322-30, 11/2000. PMID: 11058535.
49. Gamage SD, Bischoff ED, Burroughs KD, Lamph WW, Gottardis MM, Walker CL, Fuchs-Young R. Efficacy of LGD1069 (Targretin), a retinoid X receptor-selective ligand, for treatment of uterine leiomyoma. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 295(2):677-81, 11/2000. PMID: 11046105.
50. Kleymenova E, Muga S, Fischer S, Walker CL. Application of high-performance liquid chromatography-based analysis of DNA fragments to molecular carcinogenesis. Mol Carcinog 29(2):51-8, 10/2000. PMID: 11074601.
51. Hunter DS, Hodges LC, Eagon PK, Vonier PM, Fuchs-Young R, Bergerson JS, Walker CL. Influence of exogenous estrogen receptor ligands on uterine leiomyoma: evidence from an in vitro/in vivo animal model for uterine fibroids. Environ Health Perspect 108(Suppl 5):829-34, 10/2000. PMID: 11035990.
52. Cesen-Cummings K, Copland JA, Barrett JC, Walker CL, Davis BJ. Pregnancy, parturition, and prostaglandins: defining uterine leiomyomas. Environ Health Perspect 108(Suppl 5):817-20, 10/2000. PMID: 11035988.
53. Walker CL, Burroughs KD, Davis B, Sowell K, Everitt JI, Fuchs-Young R. Preclinical evidence for therapeutic efficacy of selective estrogen receptor modulators for uterine leiomyoma. J Soc Gynecol Investig 7(4):249-56, 8/2000. PMID: 10964025.
54. Vaezy S, Fujimoto VY, Walker C, Martin RW, Chi EY, Crum LA. Treatment of uterine fibroid tumors in a nude mouse model using high intensity focused ultrasound. Am J Obstet Gynecol 183(1):6-11, 7/2000. PMID: 10920300.
55. Hodges LC, Bergerson JS, Hunter DS, Walker CL. Estrogenic effects of organochlorine pesticides on uterine leiomyoma cells in vitro. Toxicol Sci 54(2):355-64, 4/2000. PMID: 10774817.
56. Perera AD, Kleymenova EV, Walker CL. Requirement for the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene for functional epidermal growth factor receptor blockade by monoclonal antibody C225 in renal cell carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 6(4):1518-23, 4/2000. PMID: 10778984.
57. Cesen-Cummings K, Walker CL, Davis BJ. Lessons from pregnancy and parturition: uterine leiomyomas result from discordant differentiation and dedifferentiation responses in smooth muscle cells. Med Hypotheses 55(6):485-90, 2000. PMID: 11090295.

Invited Articles
1. Woodruff TK, Walker CL. Fetal and early postnatal environmental exposures and reproductive health effects in the female. Fertil Steril 89(2 Suppl):e47-51, 2/2008. PMCID: PMC2527475.
2. Cai SL, Walker CL. TSC2, a key player in tumor suppression and cystic kidney disease. Nephrol Ther 2(Suppl 2):S119-22, 1/2006. PMID: 17373211.
3. Hodges LC, Hunter DS, Bergerson JS, Fuchs-Young R, Walker CL. An in vivo/in vitro model to assess endocrine disrupting activity of xenoestrogens in uterine leiomyoma. Ann N Y Acad Sci 948:100-11, 12/2001. PMID: 11795388.
4. Houston KD, Hunter DS, Hodges LC, Walker CL. Uterine leiomyomas: mechanisms of tumorigenesis. Toxicol Pathol 29(1):100-4, 2/2001. PMID: 11215673.
5. Kleymenova E, Walker CL. Determination of loss of heterozygosity in frozen and paraffin embedded tumors by denaturating high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). J Biochem Biophys Methods 47(1-2):83-90, 1/2001. PMID: 11179764.
6. Lau SS, Yoon HS, Patel SK, Everitt JI, Walker CL, Monks TJ. Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of biological reactive intermediate's derived from a "non-genotoxic" carcinogen. Adv Exp Med Biol 500:83-92, 2001. PMID: 11765020.
7. Van Poppel H, Nilsson S, Algaba F, Bergerheim U, Dal Cin P, Fleming S, Hellsten S, Kirkali Z, Klotz L, Lindblad P, Ljungberg B, Mulders P, Roskams T, Ross RK, Walker C, Wersäll P. Precancerous lesions in the kidney. Scand J Urol Nephrol Suppl 205:136-65, 2000. PMID: 11144893.

Book Chapters
1. Greathouse KL, Walker CL. Molecular mechanisms of endocrine disruptors. In: Environmental Impacts on Reproductive Health and Fertility. Ed(s) Woodruff T, Janssen S, Guillette L, Guidice L. In Press.
2. Greer LE, Bus JS, Groopman JD, Moore JA, Ramos KS, Walker CL. In: Toxicogenomic Technologies and Risk Assessment of Environmental Carcinogens. The National Academies Press, 2005.
3. Cook JD, Walker CL. Treatment strategies for uterine leiomyoma: the role of hormonal modulation. In: Uterine Leiomyomas: Options and Choices. 22, 105-11, 2004.
4. Walker CL. Renal cell carcinoma: the human disease. In: The Kidney: From Normal Development to Congenital Abnormalities. Elsevier Science: San Diego, CA, 452-7, 2003.
5. Walker C. Role of hormonal and reproductive factors in the etiology and treatment of uterine leiomyoma. In: Reproductive Hormones and Human Health. Recent Progress in Hormone Research. 57. The Endocrine Society, 277-94, 2002.
6. Walker CL. Modeling genetic susceptibility in rodents. In: Cellular and Molecular Toxicology. XX. Ed(s) Vanden Heuvel JP, Perdew GH. Academic Press, 2001.

Last updated: 8/26/2009