Brian Grindel, Ph.D.
Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Instructor, Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Instructor, Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2015 | Rice University, Houston, Texas, US, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Ph.D |
| 2008 | University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, US, Biological Sciences, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2017-2017 | Research Fellowship, Dept. of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas |
| 2017-2022 | Research Fellowship, University of Texas at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2016-2017 | Research Fellowship, BioScience Research Collaborative, Rice University, Houston, Texas |
| 2009-2015 | Research Assistant, Rice University, Houston, Texas |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Research Scientist, Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2022 - 2023
Honors & Awards
| 2021 | Best short presentation, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2020 | Postdoctoral Travel Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer System |
| 2018 | Best poster presentation, NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer |
| 2017 | Translational Cancer Nanotechnology Training Fellowship, NIH |
| 2015 | George J. Schroepfer Award, Rice University |
| 2014 | Best Presentation, Rice University |
| 2013 | First Place, Rice University |
| 2013 | Travel Grant Award, Rice University |
| 2010 | Nomination, Rice University |
| 2009 | Chemistry/Biology Interface fellowship, University of Delaware |
| 2008 | Biological Sciences Academic Achievement Award, University of Delaware |
| 2008 | Richard M. Johnson Jr. Memorial Award, University of Delaware |
| 2007 | Goldwater Award, Goldwater Foundation |
| 2005 - 2006 | Research Stipend Recipient, Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Engel BJ, Paolillo V, Uddin MN, Gonzales KA, McGinnis KM, Sutton MN, Patnana M, Grindel BJ, Gores GJ, Piwnica-Worms D, Beretta L, Pisaneschi F, Gammon ST, Millward SW. Gender Differences in a Mouse Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Revealed Using Multi-Modal Imaging. Cancers (Basel) 15(15), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37568603.
- Grindel BJ, Engel BJ, Ong JN, Srinivasamani A, Liang X, Zacharias NM, Bast RC, Curran MA, Takahashi TT, Roberts RW, Millward SW. Directed Evolution of PD-L1-Targeted Affibodies by mRNA Display. ACS Chem Biol 17(6):1543-1555, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35611948.
- Tellman TV, Cruz LA, Grindel BJ, Farach-Carson MC. Cleavage of the Perlecan-Semaphorin 3A-Plexin A1-Neuropilin-1 (PSPN) Complex by Matrix Metalloproteinase 7/Matrilysin Triggers Prostate Cancer Cell Dyscohesion and Migration. Int J Mol Sci 22(6), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33809984.
- Gray JP, Uddin MN, Chaudhari R, Sutton MN, Yang H, Rask P, Locke H, Engel BJ, Batistatou N, Wang J, Grindel BJ, Bhattacharya P, Gammon ST, Zhang S, Piwnica-Worms D, Kritzer JA, Lu Z, Bast RC, Millward SW. Directed evolution of cyclic peptides for inhibition of autophagy. Chem Sci 12(10):3526-3543, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34163626.
- Grindel BJ, Engel BJ, Hall CG, Kelderhouse LE, Lucci A, Zacharias NM, Takahashi TT, Millward SW. Mammalian Expression and In Situ Biotinylation of Extracellular Protein Targets for Directed Evolution. ACS Omega 5(39):25440-25455, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33043224.
- Kamalinia G, Engel BJ, Srinivasamani A, Grindel BJ, Ong JN, Curran MA, Takahashi TT, Millward SW, Roberts RW. mRNA Display Discovery of a Novel Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Binding Peptide (a Peptide Ligand for PD-L1). ACS Chem Biol 15(6):1630-1641, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32352272.
- Engel BJ, Grindel BJ, Gray JP, Millward SW. Purification of poly-dA oligonucleotides and mRNA-protein fusions with dT25-OAS resin. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 30(4):126934, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31919017.
- Martinez JR, Grindel BJ, Hubka KM, Dodge GR, Farach-Carson MC. Perlecan/HSPG2: Signaling role of domain IV in chondrocyte clustering with implications for Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome. J Cell Biochem 120(2):2138-2150, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30203597.
- Grindel BJ, Martinez JR, Tellman TV, Harrington DA, Zafar H, Nakhleh L, Chung LW, Farach-Carson MC. Matrilysin/MMP-7 Cleavage of Perlecan/HSPG2 Complexed with Semaphorin 3A Supports FAK-Mediated Stromal Invasion by Prostate Cancer Cells. Sci Rep 8(1):7262, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29740048.
- Chiu YC, Fong EL, Grindel BJ, Kasper FK, Harrington DA, Farach-Carson MC. Sustained delivery of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 from perlecan domain I - functionalized electrospun poly (ε-caprolactone) scaffolds for bone regeneration. J Exp Orthop 3(1):25, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27714703.
- Grindel B, Li Q, Arnold R, Petros J, Zayzafoon M, Muldoon M, Stave J, Chung LW, Farach-Carson MC. Perlecan/HSPG2 and matrilysin/MMP-7 as indices of tissue invasion: tissue localization and circulating perlecan fragments in a cohort of 288 radical prostatectomy patients. Oncotarget 7(9):10433-47, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26862737.
- Wijeratne SS, Martinez JR, Grindel BJ, Frey EW, Li J, Wang L, Farach-Carson MC, Kiang CH. Single molecule force measurements of perlecan/HSPG2: A key component of the osteocyte pericellular matrix. Matrix Biol 50:27-38, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26546708.
- Warren CR, Grindel BJ, Francis L, Carson DD, Farach-Carson MC. Transcriptional activation by NFκB increases perlecan/HSPG2 expression in the desmoplastic prostate tumor microenvironment. J Cell Biochem 115(7):1322-33, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24700612.
- Grindel BJ, Martinez JR, Pennington CL, Muldoon M, Stave J, Chung LW, Farach-Carson MC. Matrilysin/matrix metalloproteinase-7(MMP7) cleavage of perlecan/HSPG2 creates a molecular switch to alter prostate cancer cell behavior. Matrix Biol 36:64-76, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24833109.
- Chen J, Lobachev KS, Grindel BJ, Farach-Carson MC, Hyzy SL, El-Baradie KB, Olivares-Navarrete R, Doroudi M, Boyan BD, Schwartz Z. Chaperone properties of pdia3 participate in rapid membrane actions of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin d3. Mol Endocrinol 27(7):1065-77, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23660595.
- Grindel BJ, Rohe B, Safford SE, Bennett JJ, Farach-Carson MC. Tumor necrosis factor-α treatment of HepG2 cells mobilizes a cytoplasmic pool of ERp57/1,25D3-MARRS to the nucleus. J Cell Biochem 112(9):2606-15, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21598303.
- Thompson WR, Modla S, Grindel BJ, Czymmek KJ, Kirn-Safran CB, Wang L, Duncan RL, Farach-Carson MC. Perlecan/Hspg2 deficiency alters the pericellular space of the lacunocanalicular system surrounding osteocytic processes in cortical bone. J Bone Miner Res 26(3):618-29, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 20814969.
- Farach-Carson MC, Grindel B. HSPG2 (heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2), 2008. e-Pub 2008.
- Grindel BJ, Ong JN, Srinivasamani A, Liang X, Rankin SA, Uddin MN, Curran M, Takahashi TT, Roberts RW, Millward SW. Using Extension-based mRNA Display to Design Antibody-like Proteogenic Peptides for PD-L1. ACS Chemical Biology.
- W Millward ASBJGS, Sokolov K. Directional conjugation of monoclonal antibodies to nanoparticles using metal-free click chemistry. Nature Methods, 2024. Corresponding PI Konstantin Sokolov.
Other Articles
- Kamalinia G, Grindel BJ, Takahashi TT, Millward SW, Roberts RW Directing evolution of novel ligands by mRNA display. Chem Soc Rev 50(16):9055-9103, 2021. PMID: 34165126.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2025 - 2030 |
| Title: | Imaging Low Frequency Features of Cell Death |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Instructor |
| ID: | FP22897 |
| Date: | 2025 - 2028 |
| Title: | Leveraging PD-L1 biology to Develop Next-Generation Theranostics |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Co-I |
| ID: | RP250363 |
| Date: | 2024 - 2026 |
| Title: | Re-activating the anti-tumor immune microenvironment while limiting adverse events using a novel directed evolution process |
| Funding Source: | American Cancer Society (ACS) |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2024 - 2026 |
| Title: | Re-activating the anti-tumor immune microenvironment while limiting adverse events using a novel directed evolution process |
| Funding Source: | Yosemite - American Cancer Society |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | FP00022872 |
| Date: | 2024 - 2026 |
| Title: | Enhancing the Potency and Tumor Selectivity of PD-L1 Binding Peptides using Boronic Acids |
| Funding Source: | John S. Dunn Collaborative Research Award Program |
| Role: | Other Personnel |
| Date: | 2024 - 2025 |
| Title: | Directed evolution of PD-L1 affibodies for rapid PET imaging sarcomas |
| Funding Source: | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology/ Division of Pediatrics Career Enhancement Program (CEP Award) |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | N/A |
| Date: | 2022 - 2024 |
| Title: | MUC16 Juxtamembrane Domain-Binding Peptides for Imaging and Therapy of Ovarian Cancer |
| Funding Source: | Department of Defense (DOD) |
| Role: | Postdoctoral Fellow |
| ID: | OC210142 |
| Date: | 2021 - 2026 |
| Title: | Pro-Drug Enolase Inhibitors in Precision Oncology |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-I |
| ID: | R01CA231509 |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified April 02, 2025