Kathryn O'Donnell-Mendell, Ph.D. Associate Professor School Medical School Department Molecular Biology Graduate Programs Cancer Biology, Genetics, Development and Disease Biography Kathryn O’Donnell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She received her B.S. in Genetics from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Human Genetics from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2005. Her graduate work in Dr. Chi Dang’s laboratory focused on investigating the mechanisms underlying MYC-mediated tumorigenesis, establishing important roles for Transferrin Receptor 1 (TFRC1) and microRNAs in this oncogenic network. Kate stayed at Johns Hopkins and completed postdoctoral fellowship training in the laboratory of Dr. Jef Boeke in the Molecular Biology and Genetics Department. During this time, she was awarded a fellowship from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Her work involved both the application of existing transposon-mediated mutagenesis systems to perform forward genetic screens in mice as well as the development of new mutagenesis platforms for cancer gene discovery. In 2011, Kate was recruited to UT Southwestern Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and received a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Recruitment of First-Time Tenure-Track Faculty Member Award. Her current work is focused on understanding the mechanisms that contribute to lung tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis and applying insights from these studies towards the development of new therapies for lung cancer. Several projects investigate the regulation and function of oncogenic cell surface receptors using molecular and biochemical studies, functional genetics, and mouse models. She is supported by awards from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Sidney Kimmel Foundation, the LUNGevity Foundation, the Welch Foundation, and CPRIT. Education Undergraduate Cornell University (1998), Biology Graduate School Johns Hopkins University (2005), Genetics Research Interest Cancer CRISPR Genome Editing Mechanisms of lung cancer pathogenesis Mouse models of cancer Publications Featured Publications eIF5B drives integrated stress response-dependent translation of PD-L1 in lung cancer Suresh S, Chen B, Zhu J, Golden RJ, Lu C, Evers BM, Novaresi N, Smith B, Zhan X, Schmid V, Jun S, Karacz CM, Peyton M, Zhong L, Wen Z, Sathe AA, Xing C, Behrens C, Wistuba II, Xiao G, Xie Y, Fu Y-X, Minna JD, Mendell JT, O'Donnell KA Nature Cancer 2020 1 5 533-545 Modulation of mutant KrasG12D-driven lung tumorigenesis in vivo by gain or loss of PCDH7 function Zhou X, Padanad M, Evers BM, Smith B, Novaresi N, Suresh S, Richardson JA, Stein E, Zhu J, Hammer RE, O'Donnell KA Molecular Cancer Research 2019 594-603 Transmembrane Protease TMPRSS11B Promotes Lung Cancer Growth by Enhancing Lactate Export and Glycolytic Metabolism. Updegraff BL, Zhou X, Guo Y, Padanad MS, Chen PH, Yang C, Sudderth J, Rodriguez-Tirado C, Girard L, Minna JD, Mishra P, DeBerardinis RJ, O'Donnell KA Cell Rep 2018 Nov 25 8 2223-2233.e6 SRC-2-mediated coactivation of anti-tumorigenic target genes suppresses MYC-induced liver cancer. Suresh S, Durakoglugil D, Zhou X, Zhu B, Comerford SA, Xing C, Xie XJ, York B, O'Donnell KA PLoS Genet. 2017 Mar 13 3 e1006650 PROTOCADHERIN 7 Acts through SET and PP2A to Potentiate MAPK Signaling by EGFR and KRAS during Lung Tumorigenesis. Zhou X, Updegraff BL, Guo Y, Peyton M, Girard L, Larsen JE, Xie XJ, Zhou Y, Hwang TH, Xie Y, Rodriguez-Canales J, Villalobos P, Behrens C, Wistuba II, Minna JD, O'Donnell KA Cancer Res. 2016 Nov Comprehensive ex vivo transposon mutagenesis identifies genes that promote growth factor independence and leukemogenesis. Guo Y, Updegraff BL, Park S, Durakoglugil D, Burton V, Maddux S, Hwang TH, O'Donnell KA Cancer Res. 2015 Dec A Sleeping Beauty mutagenesis screen reveals a tumor suppressor role for Ncoa2/Src-2 in liver cancer. O'Donnell KA, Keng VW, York B, Reineke EL, Seo D, Fan D, Silverstein KA, Schrum CT, Xie WR, Mularoni L, Wheelan SJ, Torbenson MS, O'Malley BW, Largaespada DA, Boeke JD Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2012 May 109 21 E1377-86 Mobilizing diversity: transposable element insertions in genetic variation and disease. O'Donnell KA, Burns KH Mob DNA 2010 1 1 Therapeutic microRNA delivery suppresses tumorigenesis in a murine liver cancer model. Kota J, Chivukula RR, O'Donnell KA, Wentzel EA, Montgomery CL, Hwang HW, Chang TC, Vivekanandan P, Torbenson M, Clark KR, Mendell JR, Mendell JT Cell 2009 Jun 137 6 1005-17 Mighty Piwis defend the germline against genome intruders. O'Donnell KA, Boeke JD Cell 2007 Apr 129 1 Results 1-10 of 25 1 2 3 Next Last Honors & Awards Friends of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Award in Cancer Research (2017) LUNGevity Foundation Career Development Award (2015) Sidney Kimmel Scholar Award (2015) American Cancer Society - Simmons Cancer Center New Investigator Award (2012) CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research (2011) Damon Runyon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (2006) AACR Scholar-in-Training Award (2005) AACR Scholar-in-Training Award (2003) Professional Associations/Affiliations American Association for Cancer Research (2001) Cancer Biology Graduate Program (2011) Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine (2017) Genetics and Development Graduate Program (2011) Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center (2011)
