evelynvoura
Evelyn Voura - CV
Personal Statement
Cancer biologist with almost twenty years of experience using murine tumor models, cell and
molecular biology, biochemistry and the culture of cells and tissues. Research has focused on
monitoring the molecular changes taking place in physiological models of disease progression
using fluorescence microscopy and MRI in vivo, organ cultures ex vivo and cultured cell lines
and primary cells in vitro. Also having five years managerial experience coordinating cross-
departmental research initiatives, clinical studies and overseeing laboratory staff.
Education
Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada 1999
M.Sc. Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada 1994
B.Sc. University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada 1992
Current Leadership, Research, Teaching and Mentorship Duties
Assistant Professor of Biology
(2011-present)
Department of Arts and Science, Dominican College, Orangeburg, New York
Teaching Experience:
-Teach Biochemistry lectures
-Teach General Biology lectures and laboratory
-Teach Anatomy and Physiology lectures and laboratory
-Set and grade lecture and laboratory assignments
Independent Research Projects:
-Establish the planarian (flatworm) model of study
-Bacterial Symbiosis in the planarian
-Tumorigenesis and Cancer cell invasion in the planarian
-The effect of stimulants and neurotoxins on planarian regeneration, learning and memory
Assistant Director of Research
(2005-Present)
Department of Neurosurgery, New York University Medical Center, New York
Supervisor: Dr. J.G. Golfinos, M.D.
Managerial Responsibilities:
Set up basic research lab for the Department of Neurosurgery
- Coordinate collaborative research between the Departments of Neurosurgery, Radiology and Pathology
- Manage laboratory staff
- Write grants to secure federal and private research funding
- Write advertisements to stimulate private funding endeavors
Coordinate clinical research within the Department of Neurosurgery
- Write IRB protocols and recruit patients to support ongoing clinical projects
- Assist clinical staff in launching new projects
Collaborative Research Projects:
- Establish laboratory protocols track the behavior of brain tumor cells by MRI and fluorescence microscopy using mouse tumor models in vivo
- Use molecular MRI to map the distribution of molecules in brain tumors using novel therapeutic and nanoscale analytical tools
Past Leadership, Research, Teaching and Mentorship Duties
Adjunct Lecturer
(2010-2011)
Department of Chemistry, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
Experience:
• Run Freshmen General Chemistry lab sections
• Prepare pre-laboratory lectures
• Set and grade laboratory assignments
Adjunct Lecturer
(2009-2010)
Departments of Chemistry and Biology, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York
Experience:
• Run Freshmen General Biology and Non-majors Environmental Chemistry lab sections
• Prepare course and pre-laboratory lectures
• Set and grade laboratory tests and assignments
• Establish an environmental chemistry laboratory curriculum
Post Doctoral Fellow
(2001-2005)
Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, Rockefeller University, New York
Supervisor: Dr. S.M. Simon, Ph.D.
• Projects:
- Established a new technique to study melanoma tumor cell migration in mouse lung tissue cultures ex vivo
- Developed means to study up six cell populations simultaneously ex vivo by multiphoton microscopy
- Studied tumor cell extravasation and set up live in vitro assays using automated fluorescence microscopes and Metamorph imaging software
- Studied mouse colon tissue ex vivo by confocal and multiphoton imaging
Post Doctoral Fellow
(1999-2001)
Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Supervisor: Dr. R. Khokha, Ph.D.
• Projects:
- Established ex vivo mouse mammary gland cultures to study apoptosis during involution
- Studied the role of adhesion molecules, TIMPs and MMPs during breast cancer cell extravasation using confocal and fluorescence microscopy in vitro
Ph.D.
(1994-1999)
Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Supervisor: Dr. C.-H. Siu, Ph.D.
• Project:
- Established an in vitro assay to study the role of adhesion molecules during
melanoma cell extravasation using confocal and fluorescence microscopy
M.Sc.
(1992-1994)
Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Supervisor: Dr. R.G. Hawley, Ph.D.
• Projects:
- Developed retroviral mediated transfection of antisense cDNA to lower adhesion molecule protein expression in multiple myeloma cells
- Elucidated hematopoietic stem cell and precursor cell gene expression using a global PCR amplified cDNA Southern blot technique
Trace Metals Analyst
(May 1990-August 1990 & May 1989-August 1989)
Beak Environmental Consultants, Brampton, Canada
• Responsibilities:
- Prepared environmental samples for trace metals analysis
- Maintained QA/QC of sample data
- Analyzed samples by GC and flame AA
- Assisted in the maintenance of ICP, DCIP, GC and flame AA instruments
• Project:
- Established new protocol to extract thallium from tissue for trace metals analysis
Other
2002-2003: Mentored high school teachers in Rockefeller Science Outreach program
1999-2001: Elected member of the Ontario Cancer Institute Post Doctoral Association
1996-1999: Student representative on the C.H. Best Institute Safety Committee
1996-1997: Elected Best Institute Graduate Student Association President
Selected Laboratory Techniques
Physiological and Disease Modeling:
- Developed models to examine tumor cell extravasation using cultured cells in vitro and organ cultures ex vivo
- Developed an ex vivo organ model to examine mammary gland involution ex vivo
Imaging:
- Fluorescence, confocal and multiphoton microscopy of cells and tissue in vitro and ex vivo
- Live cell and tissue imaging
Cell Biology:
- Cell tagging using nanoprobes for MRI and fluorescence detection
- Immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry
- Transient and stable expression of cDNA in cell lines
- FACS
Cell and Tissue Culture:
- Culture of primary cells and cells lines
- Ex vivo organ and tissue culture
Animal Work:
- Mouse handling and husbandry of transgenic, knock-out and knock-in lines
Molecular Biology:
- Peptide generation, cDNA cloning and expression vector generation
- PCR and primer design
Biochemistry:
- Western, northern and Southern blotting
- Gelatin zymography
- Used of protein folding algorithms to predict protein folding
- Protein sequencing
- Used bacterial and yeast expression systems for peptide expression
- Polyclonal antibody generation
Professional Affiliations
2001-2010 Member of the New York Academy of Science
2006-2010 Reviewer for Cancer Letters
1998-2006 American Association for Cancer Research
1994-2005 American Society for Cell Biology
Competitive Post-Graduate Salary Fellowships Awarded
2008-2010 Gruson Fund for Brain Tumor Research Scholar
2002-2005 Cancer Research Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship
2000-2001 NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellowship
1999-2000 Amgen Post-Doctoral Fellowship
1997-1999 University of Toronto Open Fellowship
1992-1997 Medical Research Council Studentship
Invited Seminars Given
Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative Annual Meeting
April 26-28, 2001, Quebec City, Canada
Tracking MMP Proteolysis during the transendothelial migration of tumor cells.
American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting
March 24-28, 2001, New Orleans, LA
Tracking MMP Proteolysis during the transendothelial migration of tumor cells.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Khokha R, Voura EB, Hill RP. Tumor progression and metastasis: cellular, molecular and
mircroenvironmental factors. Chapter 11: 205-230. The Basic Science of Oncology, 4th
Edition, Edited by Tannock IF, Hill RP, Harrington L, and Bristow RG, McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Zagzag D, Lukyanov Y, Lan L, Ali MA, Esencay M, Mendez O, Yee H, Voura E, Newcome E.
Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 and VEGF upregulate CXCR4 in glioblastoma: implications for
angiogenesis and glioma cell invasion. Laboratory Investigation 2006 Dec; 86(12):1221-1232.
Voura EB, Jaiswal JK, Mattoussi H, Simon SM. Tracking metastatic tumor cell extravasation
with quantum dot nanocrystals and fluorscence emission-scanning microscopy. Nature
Medicine 2004 Sep; 10(9):993-998.
Fata JE, Leco KJ, Voura EB, Yu HY, Waterhouse P, Murphy G, Moorehead RA, Khokha R.
Accelerated apoptosis in the Timp-3-deficient mammary gland. Journal of Clinical
Investigation 2001 Sep;108(6):831-41.
Voura EB, Ramjeesingh RA, Montgomery AM, Siu CH. Involvement of integrin avb3 and cell
adhesion molecule L1 in transendothelial migration of melanoma cells. Molecular Biololgy of
the Cell 2001 Sep;12(9):2699-710.
Ho AT, Voura EB, Soloway PD, Watson KL, Khokha R. MMP inhibitors augment fibroblast
adhesion through stabilization of focal adhesion contacts and up-regulation of cadherin function.
Journal of Biological Chemistry 2001 Oct 26;276(43):40215-24.
Voura EB, Chen N, Siu CH. Platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31) redistributes
from the endothelial junction and is not required for the transendothelial migration of melanoma
cells. Clinical & Experimental Metastasis 2000;18(6):527-32.
Fata JE, Kong YY, Li J, Sasaki T, Irie-Sasaki J, Moorehead RA, Elliott R, Scully S, Voura EB,
Lacey DL, Boyle WJ, Khokha R, Penninger JM. The osteoclast differentiation factor
osteoprotegerin-ligand is essential for mammary gland development. Cell 2000 Sep
29;103(1):41-50.
Voura EB, Sandig M, Siu CH. Cell-cell interactions during transendothelial migration of tumor
cells. Microscopy Research and Technique 1998 Nov 1;43(3):265-75. Review.
Voura EB, Sandig M, Kalnins VI, Siu C. Cell shape changes and cytoskeleton reorganization
during transendothelial migration of human melanoma cells. Cell and Tissue Research 1998
Sep;293(3):375-87. Journal Cover Photo.
Sandig M, Voura EB, Kalnins VI, Siu CH. Role of cadherins in the transendothelial migration of
melanoma cells in culture. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 1997;38(4):351-64.
Voura EB, Billia F, Iscove NN, Hawley RG. Expression mapping of adhesion receptor genes
during differentiation of individual hematopoietic precursors. Experimental Hematology 1997
Oct;25(11):1172-9.
Brady G, Billia F, Knox J, Hoang T, Kirsch IR, Voura EB, Hawley RG, Cumming R, Buchwald
M, Siminovitch K. Analysis of gene expression in a complex differentiation hierarchy by global
amplification of cDNA from single cells. Current Biology 1995 Aug 1;5(8):909-22.