Monica Buzzai

Monica Buzzai, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

I obtained my PhD from University of Pennsylvania and I am currently a second year Postdoctoral Fellow. My research project is devoted to the identification and analysis of pathways governing the genesis and progression of MPDs. Important progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis of MPDs, however critical questions still remain to be answered. A single point mutation in the Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) has been identified in virtually all cases of polycythemia vera (PV) and in a significant number of cases of primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). This mutation is now considered to play a fundamental role in these disorders, however the distinct nature of these MPDs suggests that additional genetic events are required for the development of these diseases. The genes and signaling pathways that contribute to this process remain elusive.

Additionally, I am actively involved in promoting the exchanged of scientific know-how and in developing working collaborations among Italian scientists who work abroad. I am founder and president of Urania - the Association of Italian Scientists www.uraniasciences.com, which gathers Italian scientists working or studying in US. I am member of a scientific commission at the Ministry of Health, which evaluates grants of young Italian scientists.

Email: buzzai@northwestern.edu

Publications

• Buzzai M, Licht JD. New Molecular Concepts and Targets in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Curr Opin Hem. 2007. In press.

• Buzzai M, Jones RG, Amaravadi RK, Lum JJ, DeBerardinis RJ, Zhao F, Viollet B, Thompson CB. Systemic treatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin selectively impairs p53-deficient tumor cell growth. Cancer Res. 2007, 67(14):6745-52

• Thompson CB, Bauer DE, Lum JJ, Hatzivassiliou G, Zong WX, Zhao F, Ditsworth D, Buzzai M, Lindsten T. How do cancer cells acquire the fuel needed to support cell growth? Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 2005, 70:357-62

• Jones RG, Plas DR, Kubek S, Buzzai M, Mu J, Xu Y, Birnbaum MJ, Thompson CB. AMP-activated protein kinase induces a p53-dependent metabolic checkpoint. Moll Cell. 2005, 18(3):283-93

• Buzzai M, Bauer DE, Elstrom RL, Jones RG, DeBerardinis RJ, Thompson CB. The glucose dependence of Akt-transformed cells can be reversed by pharmacologic activation of fatty acid beta-oxidation. Oncogene. 2005, 24(26):4165-73

• Fei P, Wang W, Kim S, Wang S, Burns TF, Sax JK, Buzzai M, Dicker DT, McKenna WG, Bernard EJ, El-Deiry WS. Bnip3L is induced by p53 under hypoxia, and its knockdown promotes tumor growth. Cancer Cell. 2004, 6(6):597-609

• Elstrom RL, Bauer DE, Buzzai M, Karnauskas R, Harris MH, Plas DR, Zhuang H, Cinalli RM, Alavi A, Rudin CM, Thompson CB. Akt stimulates aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells. Cancer Res. 2004, 64(11):3892-9

• Bottazzi, ME*, Buzzai M*, Brechot C, and Assoian RK. Cooperative effects of mitogens and cytoskeletal integrity on CRE- and E2F/CDE-dependent cyclin A promoter activity. Mol Cell Biol. 2001, 21(22):7607-16. *Co-first authors

• Davey G*, Buzzai M*, and Assoian RK. Reduced expression of *5*1 prevents spreading-dependent cell proliferation. Journal of Cell Science 1999, 112, 4663-4672. *Co-first authors

• Collavin L, Buzzai M, Saccone S, Bernard L, Federico C, DellaValle G, Brancolini C, Schneider C. cDNA characterization and chromosome mapping of the human GAS2 Gene. Genomics 1998, 48, 265-269

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