Robert K. Suter, PhD
EDUCATION
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Ph.D.
Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology 2018 – 2022
Temple University
B.S. 2009 - 2015
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Publications
Human endogenous retrovirus K contributes to a stem cell niche in glioblastoma
Shah AH, Rivas SR, Doucet-O'Hare TT, Govindarajan V, DeMarino C, Wang T, Ampie L, Zhang Y, Banasavadi-Siddegowda YK, Walbridge S, Maric D, Garcia-Montojo M, Suter RK,… Ivan ME, Komotar RJ, Gilbert MR, Heiss JD, Nath A.
Journal of Clinical Investigation, July 2023
An overview of human single-cell RNA sequencing studies in neurobiological disease
TJ Walter, RK Suter, NG Ayad
Neurobiology of Disease, June 2023
A druggable UHRF1/DNMT1/GLI complex regulated Sonic hedgehog dependent tumor growth
Yang F, Rodriguez-Blanco J, Long J, Swiderska-Syn M, Wynn DT, Li B, Shen C, Nayak A, Ban Y, Sun X, Suter RK, McCrea H, Capobianco AJ, Ayad NG, Robbins DJ
Molecular Cancer Research, August 2022
Systematic review of epigenetic therapies for treatment of IDH-mutant glioma
Govindarajan V, Shah AH, Di L, Rivas S, Suter RK, Eichberg DG, Luther E, Lu V, Morell AA, Ivan ME, Ricardo J. Komotar, Nagi Ayad, Macarena De La Fuente
World Neurosurgery, March 2022
A dual aurora and lim kinase inhibitor reduces glioblastoma proliferation and invasion
Matthew J. Rybin, Mayra Juliana Laverde-Paz, Robert K. Suter, Maurizio Affer, Nagi G. Ayad, Yangbo Feng, Zane Zeier
Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, February 2022
A multiparametric pharmacogenomic strategy for drug repositioning predicts therapeutic efficacy for glioblastoma cell lines
Ashish Shah, Robert K. Suter, Pavan Gudoor, Tara T. Doucet-O’Hare, Vasileios Stathias, Iahn Cajigas, Macarena De La Fuente, Vaidya Govindarajan, Alexis Morell, Daniel G. Eichberg, Evan Luther, Victor M. Lu, John Heiss, Ricardo J. Komotar, Michael E. Ivan, Stephan Schürer, Mark R. Gilbert, Nagi Ayad
Neuro-oncology Advances, December 2021
The novel BET inhibitor UM-002 reduces glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasion
Anna M. Jermakowicz*, Matthew J. Rybin*, Robert K. Suter*, Jann N. Sarkaria, Zane Zeier, Yangbo Feng and Nagi G. Ayad
*co-first authorship
Scientific Reports, December 2021
Epigenetic pathways and plasticity in brain tumors
Robert K. Suter, Jezabel Rodriguez-Blanco, and Nagi G. Ayad
Neurobiology of Disease, November 2020
Drug and disease signature integration identifies synergistic combinations in glioblastoma
Vasileios Stathias, Anna M. Jermakowicz, Marie E. Maloof, Michele Forlin, Winston Walters, Robert K. Suter, Michael Durante, Sion L. Williams, J. William Harbour, Claude-Henry Volmar, Nicholas J. Lyons, Claes Wahlestedt, Regina M. Graham, Michael E. Ivan, Ricardo J. Komotar, Jann N. Sarkaria, Aravind Subramanian, Todd R. Golub, Stephan C. Schürer and Nagi G. Ayad
Nature Communications, December 2018
posters and presentations
Society for Neuro-Oncology Biennial Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Conference - June 2023
A pro-drug of triptolide in clinical development attenuates high-risk medulloblastoma growth
Jezabel Rodriguez-Blanco, April Salvador, Robert K. Suter, Isabel Palomo-Caturla, Megan Viera, Ashley Metts Nienhius, Nagi Ayad, and David Robbins
American Societ of Clinical Oncology [ASCO] - June 2023
Comprehensive study of the intratumoral microbiome in early- vs. late-onset colorectal cancer: Final analysis of COSMO CRC
Benjamin Adam Weinberg, Hongkun Wang, Xue Geng, Robert K. Suter, Shrayus Sortur, Myra E. Green, Shadi Shokralla, Emily Bakhshi, Krysta Chaldekas, Brent T. Harris, Dionyssia Clagett, John Marshall
Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting [SNO] (presenting author) - November 2022
ISOSCELES: An integrative framework for the prediction of treatment resistant glioblastoma cells
Robert K. Suter, Anna Jermakowicz, Vasileios Stathias, Luz Ruiz, Matthew D'Antuono, Simon Kaeppeli, Grace Baker, Rithvik Veeramachaneni, Winston Walters, Maria Cepero, Sion Williams, Michael Ivan, Ricardo Komotar, Macarena De La Fuente, Jann Sarkaria, Stephan Schürer, Nagi Ayad
Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting [SNO] (presenting author) - November 2021
A mesenchymal cell population mediates resistance to aurora kinase inhibitors in glioblastoma
Robert K. Suter, Vasileios Stathias, Anna Jermakowicz, Hari Pradhyumnan, Maurizio Affer, Florence Guglielmetti, Michael E. Ivan, Ricardo J. Komotar, Macarena De La Fuente, Jann Sarkaria, Stephan Schürer, Nagi G. Ayad
Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting [SNO] (co-author) - November 2021
Investigating medulloblastoma heterogeneity and predicting compound response
Luz Ruiz, Robert K. Suter, Anna Jermakowicz, Nagi G. Ayad
Zubrod Memorial Lecture and Sylvester Cancer Research Poster Session (presenting author) - May 2021
Leveraging single-cell transcriptomics to identify synergistic small molecule combinations for the treatment of glioblastoma
Robert K. Suter, Vasileios Stathias, Anna Jermakowicz, Maurizio Affer, Florence Guglielmetti, Michael E. Ivan, Ricardo J. Komotar, Macarena De La Fuente, Jann Sarkaria, Stephan Schürer, Nagi G. Ayad
SNO International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology [ISPN] (co-author) - December 2020
BET bromodomain protein-kinase inhibitor combinations for the treatment of medulloblastoma
Nagi G. Ayad, Robert K. Suter, David Robbins, Martine Roussel
Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting [SNO] (co-author) - November 2020
Dendritic Cell Vaccine Study for Recurrent High-Grade Glioma: Tissue-based RNA Sequencing and Serum Cytokine Levels as Potential Biomarkers
Macarena I. de la Fuente, Tulay Koru-Sengul, Robert K. Suter, Deborah Heros, Feng Miao, Alain Fernandez Marrero, Dalissa Tejera, Michelle Liendo, Aisha Khan, Michael E. Ivan, Nagi Ayad, Ricardo J. Komotar
Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting [SNO] (oral presentation, presenting author) - November 2019
Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of single cells from recurrent and primary glioblastoma to predict cell-type specific therapeutics
Robert K. Suter, Vasileios Stathias, Anna Jermakowicz, Alexa Semonche, Michael Ivan, Ricardo Komotar, Stephan Schürer, Nagi G. Ayad
Zubrod Memorial Lecture and Sylvester Cancer Research Poster Session (presenting author) - April 2019
Identification of potential small molecule therapeutics for glioblastoma multiforme using single-cell RNA-sequencing
Robert K. Suter, Vasileios Stathias, Anna Jermakowicz, Alexa Semonche, Michael Durante, Michael Ivan, Stephan Schürer, Nagi G. Ayad
Eastern-Atlantic Student Research Forum [ESRF] (presenting author) - February 2019
Identification of potential therapeutic targets in glioblastoma multiforme using single-cell RNA-sequencing
Robert K. Suter, Sarah Fazal, Anna Jermakowicz, Vasileios Stathias, Michael Durante, Michael Ivan, Stephan Schürer, Nagi G. Ayad
Miami Epigenetics and Cancer Symposium (presenting author) - November 2018
Mapping the kinome of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme at single-cell resolution
Robert K. Suter, Sarah Fazal, Vasileios Stathias, Michael Durante, Michael Ivan, Nagi G. Ayad
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections [CROI] (co-author) - March 2018
Single-Cell Transcriptomics to Evaluate HIV Latency Establishment in CD4 T Cells
Lesley R. de Armas, Kyle Russell, Sion Williams, Robert K. Suter, Stefano Rinaldi, Li Pan, Suresh Pallikkuth, Rajendra Pahwa, Ramzi T. Younis, Savita Pahwa
AWARDS
Miami Epigenetics and Cancer Symposium - Best Poster Extended Abstract, 3rd Place - November 2018
Professional experience
Georgetown University, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Cell Biology Program
Bioinformatician March 2022 – Present
o Collaboration with multiple laboratories in the Department of Oncology utilizing bioinformatics, systems biology, and data science approaches to drive cutting-edge translational cancer research.
o Analyzed multiple spatial biology datasets with multiple laboratories, including datasets from Imaging Mass Cytometry and multiple spatial transcriptomics platforms.
o Development of research grants, including a successful multi-institutional multi-discipline RM1 funded by NINDS utilizing a new drug discovery and repurposing platform that I developed.
o Mentored 3 bioinformatics MS students during their internships, two of which have already graduated and have since been hired full-time in bioinformatics positions at GU.
o Mentored 3 undergraduate students spanning majors in ongoing systems biology and computational drug discovery projects.
o Ongoing projects with PhD students in the Ayad laboratory to guide computational biology analyses utilizing genome-scale loss-of-function screen data in brain and breast cancers.
o Successfully published with multiple labs, with multiple papers currently in revision following positive reviews.
o Co-founded a new computational biology focused working group at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
o Established cloud compute resource infrastructure including interactive RStudio servers running on GCP for the Ayad Lab and Cancer Cell Biology Bioinformatics projects.
o Proficiency in R, Python, Bash, Unix/Linux Environments, Git, Adobe Illustrator
o Taught multiple graduate (MS & PhD students) lectures in two courses: Core Methods of Biochemistry and Modern Methods in Molecular Biology
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Doctoral Researcher August 2018 – March 2022
o Generated a patient GBM single-cell RNA sequencing dataset (manuscript in preparation) and developed data processing pipelines
o Applied computational and systems biology approaches to integrate small molecule perturbation-response data with single-cell RNA sequencing data
o Developed an R Shiny application based on this integrative framework to predict sensitive and resistant cell populations from single-cell RNA sequencing data.
o Used orthotopic xenograft models of GBM in concert with single-cell lineage tracing to confirm sensitive and resistant cell identities in vivo.
o Used the same in vivo model to characterize the single-cell transcriptional response to a novel BET inhibitor
o Proficiency in R, Python, Bash, Unix/Linux Environments, Git, Adobe Illustrator
o Experience with Imaging Mass Cytometry (Fluidigm Helios) from bench through analysis (HistoCAT)
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research Associate II April 2016 – August 2018
o One of three staff members operating in the state-of-the-art open-core facility, providing technical services for the study of genomics and the epigenetics of cancer for the members of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
o Genomic project design and troubleshooting
o Next-generation sequencing (Illumina platform) (Including new service validation)
o Single-cell RNA-seq, bulk RNA-seq, mtDNA, ATAC, and ChIP library preparations and sequencing
o Raindance and BioRad digital droplet PCR
o NanoString gene expression assays
o Nucleic acid extraction and QC
o Automated single-cell isolation (CellCelector)
o Multiple single-cell RNA-seq techniques (Fluidigm C1/Smartseq2, BD Genomics, 10X Genomics)
o Immune repertoire profiling [V(D)J sequencing]
o Library preparation automation (Perkin-Elmer Zephyr NGS, Visual Basic programming)
o Administrative responsibilities (billing, scheduling, ordering, shipping, etc.)
SymphonicBio, LLC
Founder / Contractor January 2017 – August 2018
o Officially founded as a business in January 2017, SymphonicBio is a laboratory automation contracting company
o Programming and authoring laboratory automation scripts for private-sector CRO laboratories (i.e. –scripts for sample dilution, QC and standard curve preparation, ELISA, validations) (Hamilton Robotics microLAB liquid handlers)
o GLP validation of client laboratory automation instrumentation & authoring of client SOPs
Covance (LabCorp)
Scientist March 2015 – April 2016
o Worked on numerous immunoanalytical ADA/PD/NAb/PK pre-clinical and clinical studies using varying applications starting from development, through validation and sample analysis in a CRO environment.
o Experience running immunogenicity assays.
o Colorimetric and electrochemiluminenscence (Meso Scale Discovery) based ELISA method development and validation
o Method development of a quantitative anti-drug antibody assay for the select agent Botulinum toxin A
o Leading a transition to the use of automation equipment in the large molecule division through automated liquid handler programming and operation.
o Presented in Covance’s 2015 Q4 Global Chemist Forum on the transition of a manual ELISA method to the Hamilton MicroLab STARplus.
o Optimization of existing automated assays to improve consistency through studies.
o Liquid Class Tuning
o Scaling of throughput.
o Data processing and compilation to drive decisions in method development.
o Tracking and ordering of necessary reagents
o Equipment maintenance, calibration and validation in a GLP environment
Tandem Labs (LabCorp)
Lab Support April 2014 – March 2015
o Reference material and reagent receiving logging and tracking
o Reagent preparation for LC/MS extractions and immunoassays
o GLP equipment maintenance and calibration
o General lab upkeep.