Craig Burd Lab

Steroid hormones act through a family of transcription factors that are able to initiate genetic programs associated with virtually all aspects of physiology. Our lab focuses on the signaling of estrogen through its cognate receptor: the estrogen receptor. Estrogen signaling plays a central role in breast cancer development and progression, and deregulated activity influences therapeutic relapse.  In our lab, we aim to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling the estrogen receptor’s activity and potentially how these mechanisms, when not properly maintained, influence breast cancer risk and therapeutic relapse.

One of the core interests in the lab is to characterize the potential of environmental chemicals, called endocrine disruptors, to influence breast cancer risk. Many endocrine disruptors bind and activate the estrogen receptor. However, it is clear that receptor signaling initiated by an endocrine disruptor is fundamentally different than signaling initiated by estrogen. It is thus unclear mechanistically how these endocrine disruptors may be impacting breast cancer development and progression. As the vast majority of breast cancer is linked to environmental influences, understanding the impact of endocrine disruptor exposure is of significant importance.

Members

Craig J. Burd – Principle Investigator

Ali Shapiro – Laboratory Technician

Andrea Patterson – Graduate Student

Karen Wernke – Undergraduate Student

Shelby York – Undergraduate Student

Hannah Helber – Undergraduate Student