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Ge Zhou, PhD, MS, BS

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Head and Neck Surgery - Research, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Research Interests

  Our long-term goals are to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involving head & neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) progression, and identifying possible signaling pathways and molecules in mediating tumor progression that could serve as biomarkers for early detection or potential targets for clinical intervention.  Research interests are:

1.  Focusing on the study of functional roles of S100A7 (a small calcium-binding protein) and mutant p53 in the tumorigenesis and tumor development of HNSCC. Our studies have revealed that S100A7 is a potential negative modulator for the Wnt/β-catenin signaling which plays an important role in epithelial-mysenchymal transition (EMT) during tumor progression. In addition, our research also indicated that p53 mutants gain function to induce genomic instability and promote tumorigenesis by actively disrupting DNA damage check point and modulating the response to metabolic stress in HNSCC.

2. Developing different in vitro and in vivo strategies to further delineate and investigate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, DNA repair and cancer cell metabolisms as well as other signaling pathways by S100A7 and mutant p53 in HNSCC.

Office Address

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Unit Number: 123
Houston, TX 77030
Room Number: T5.3912
Phone: (713) 563-3864

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1998 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, PHD, Molecular and Cellular Biology
1987 Xiamen University, Xiamen, China, MS, Cell Biology
1984 Xiamen University, Xiamen, China, BS, Biology

Postgraduate Training

8/2000-7/2003 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, Dr. Ming-Jer Tsai
5/1998-7/2000 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, Dr. Ming-Jer Tsai
8/1992-3/1998 Ph.D. Student, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Dr. Tien M. Kuo
8/1987-7/1992 Research Assistant, Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Kunming, China
8/1984-7/1987 M. S. Student, Biology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China

Honors and Awards

1999-2001 Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship for Prostate Cancer Research, U. S. Army
1998 The Alfred G. Knudson Jr. Award for Outstanding Dissertation in Cancer Research, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Sandulache VC, OW TJ, Pickering CR, Frederick MJ, Zhou G, Fokt I, Davis-Malesevich M, Priebe W, Myers JN. Glucose, not Glutamine is the dominant energy source required for proliferation and survival of head and neck squamous carcinoma cells. Cancer 13(117):2926-38, July 1, 2011, 7/2011. PMCID: PMCPMC3135768.
2. Zhou G, Xie TX, Zhao M, Jasser SA, Younes MN, Sano D, Lin J, Kupferman ME, Santillan AA, Patel V, Gutkind JS, Ei-Naggar AK, Emberley ED, Watson PH, Matsuzawa SI, Reed JC, Myers JN. Reciprocal negative regulation between S100A7/psoriasin and beta-catenin signaling plays an important role in tumor progression of squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity. Oncogene 27(25):3527-38, 2008. PMID: 18223693.
3. Zhou G, Hashimoto Y, Kwak I Tsai s, Tsai M-J. Role of steroid receptor coactivator SRC-3 in cell growth. Mol. Cell Biol 23(21):7742-55, 2003. PMCID: PMC207585.
4. Pereira, FA, Qiu, Y, Zhou G, Tsai, M- Jand Tsai, SY. The orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TFII is required for angiogenesis and heart development. Genes & Dev 13:1037-1049, 1999. PMCID: PMC316637.
5. Zhou G, Kuo MT. Wild-type p53-mediated induction of rat mdr1b expression by the anticancer drug daunorubicin. J Biol Chem 273(25):15387-94, 6/1998. PMID: 9624121.
6. Zhou G, Kuo MT. NF-kappaB-mediated induction of mdr1b expression by insulin in rat hepatoma cells. J Biol Chem 272(24):15174-83, 6/1997. PMID: 9182539.

Last updated: 11/26/2012