Download Beswick, Ellen BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Beswick, Ellen J., PhD

Beswick, Ellen
Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle):
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
NAME
POSITION TITLE
Beswick, Ellen J., PhD
Assistant Professor
P30 Role: Full Member Translational Cancer Biology
& Signaling
eRA COMMONS USER NAME
ejbeswic
EDUCATION/TRAINING
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
Southern Illinois University Springfield, IL
University of Texas Medical Branch,
Galveston, TX
DEGREE
BS
Ph.D.
Postdoc
YEAR(s)
1993-1996
1997-2002
2002- 2007
FIELD OF STUDY
Biology
Microbiology and Immunology
Immunology
Microbiology and Immunology
A. Personal Statement
The goal of my research program is to examine several novel inflammatory pathways in gastrointestinal
cancers that link inflammation and tumor development and progression. The long term goal of this work is to
lead to development of new therapeutics to target these diseases. I examine the interplay between the GI
tumor microenvironment and immune cells, which leads to tumor growth. As a New Investigator, I am qualified
to participate in this project for the following reasons: 1) I was awarded a K22 career development award and
an ACS Research Scholar Grant with which I have set up an independent laboratory, and managed budgets
and personnel. 2) My previous training focused on chronic inflammation, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, T cell
immunology, and Gastrointestinal cancers. 3) I have developed methods to process human and mouse
tissues for primary culture and to analyze proinflammatory immune cell phenotype development and their role
in pro-carcinogenic mechanisms. 4) I have developed collaborations with the Chief of Gastroenterology,
Surgical Oncologists, and Pathologists to develop new translational approaches in gastrointestinal
pathobiology. 5) As a faculty member in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the
Clinical and Translational Sciences Center, I have an established support system including mentors,
collaborators, and access to the resources of both. My long term goal is to be an expert in gastrointestinal
inflammatory diseases, T cell immunology, and the links between chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis. I
have a successful track record of productive research, funding, resources, and institutional support to
successfully complete the proposed studies.
B. Positions and Honors:
Positions
08/1994 – 04/1996 Laboratory Assistant, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL.
08/1997 – 07/1998 Instructor, English for Medicine, Kawasaki City, Japan.
07/1998 – 05/1999 Teaching Assistant, Department of Microbiology, Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale, IL.
06/2001 – 05/2002 Research Assistant, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Southern Illinois
University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL.
07/2002 – 09/2007 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch,
Galveston, TX.
10/2007 – 01/2008 Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
02/2008 – 08/2009 Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch,
Galveston, TX.
09/2009– 08/2012
CTSC Scholar, University of New Mexico Clinical and Translational Sciences Center
09/2009 – Present
Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of
New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM.
Honors
1993 – 1996
Dean's Honor List, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
1993 – 1996
Florida Southern College Presidential Scholarship
1993
Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society
1993 – 1996
Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society
1994
LEAD Award, Florida Southern College
1994 – 1996
Omicron Kappa Delta Leadership Honors Society
2001
Illinois Combined Research Symposium. Second Place Award
Beswick, Ellen
Digestive Disease Week American Gastroenterological Association Poster of Distinction
Digestive Disease Week American Gastroenterological Association Poster of Distinction
Digestive Disease Week American Gastroenterological Association Poster of Distinction
McLaughlin Award for Excellence in Infection and Immunity Postdoctoral Research
McLaughlin Award for Excellence in Infection and Immunity Postdoctoral Research
Researcher of the Month for April, University of Texas Medical Branch
AGA Academic Skills Workshop Travel Award Recipient
AAI Junior Faculty Travel Award Recipient
AAI Junior Faculty Travel Award Recipient
Translational Sciences 2012 Scholar Award
Member, American Cancer Society Grant Review Panel: Leukemia, Immunology and
Blood Disorders
Ad-hoc Member NIH ZRG1 DKUS-A (05) Member Conflict Panel: Gastroenterology,
Kidney, Urology and Toxicology
F1000 Prime and Journal of Immunology Monthly Highlight article “CagA-dependent
downregulation of B7-H2 on gastric mucosa and inhibition of Th17 responses during H.
pylori infection.
Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle):
2003
2004
2005
2005
2006
2008
2009
2009
2011
2012
2012-2016
2013
2013
C. Peer-reviewed publications (from 29):
1. Beswick, E.J., I.V. Pinchuk, K. Minch, G. Suarez, J.C. Sierra, Y. Yamaoka, and V.E. Reyes. Helicobacter
pylori Urease B Subunit Binds to CD74 on Gastric Epithelial Cells and Induces NF-κB Activation and IL-8
Production. Infect Immun. 74:1148-1155, 2006.
2. Beswick, E.J., I. V. Pinchuk, J.C. Sierra, G. Suarez, and V.E. Reyes. Helicobacter pylori CagA-dependent
Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Produced by Gastric Epithelial Cells Binds to CD74 and Stimulates
Pro-carcinogenic Events. J Immunol. 176:6794-6801, 2006.
3. Pinchuk, I.V., E.J. Beswick, J.I. Saada, G. Suarez, J. Winston, R.C. Mifflin, J.F. Di Mari, D.W. Powell, and
V.E. Reyes. MCP-1 Production by Intestinal Myofibroblasts in Response to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A:
Relevence to Staphylococcal Enterotoxigenic Disease. J Immunol. 178:8097-8106, 2007.
4. Beswick, E.J., I.V. Pinchuk, S. Das, D.W. Powell, and V.E. Reyes. Expression of the programmed death
ligand 1, B7-H1, on gastric epithelial cells after Helicobacter pylori exposure promotes development of
CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Infect Immun. 2007 75: 4334-4341. PMC1951191
5. Beswick, E.J. and V.E. Reyes. MIF and IL-8 produced by gastric epithelial cells during Helicobacter pylori
exposure induce expression and activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Infect Immun 76:
3233-3340, 2008. PMC2446686
6. Pinchuk, I.V., J.I. Saada, E.J. Beswick, G. Boya, S.M. Qiu, R.C. Mifflin, G.S. Raju, V.E. Reyes, and D.W.
Powell. PD-1 ligand expression by human colonic myofibroblasts/fiboblasts regulates CD4+ T cell activity.
Gastroenterology. 135:1228-1237, 2008. PMCID: PMC2584612
7. Pinchuk, I.V., Beswick, E.J., and V.E. Reyes. Staphylococcal Enterotoxins. Toxins 2010; 2: 2177-2197.
doi:10.3390/toxins2082177. PMCID: PMC3153290
8. Pinchuk, I.V., Beswick, E.J., Saada, J.I., Boya, G., Schmitt, D.A., Raju, G.S., Brenmoehl, J., Rogler, G.,
Reyes, V.E., and D.W. Powell.
Human colonic myofibroblasts promote the expansion of
CD4+CD25highFoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Gastroenterology. 2011 140: 2019-30. PMCID: PMC3109194
9. Beswick, E.J., Pinchuk, I.V., Earley, R.B., Schmitt, D.A., and V.E. Reyes. The Role of Gastric Epithelial
Cell-Derived TGF-{beta} in Reduced CD4+ T Cell Proliferation and Development of Regulatory T Cells
during Helicobacter pylori Infection. Infect Immun 2011; 79: 2737-45. PMC3191950
10. Ihan, A., Pinchuk, I.V., and E.J. Beswick. Inflammation, Immunology, and Vaccines for Helicobacter pylori
Infection. Helicobacter 2012; 17:16-21. PMC3535431
11. Pinchuk, I.V., Morris, K.T., Nofchissey, R.A., Earley, R.B, Wu, J.Y., Ma, T.Y., and E.J. Beswick. Stromal
Cells Induce Th17 during Helicobacter pylori Infection and in the Gastric Tumor Microenvironment.
PLoSONE 2013, 8:53798-53809. PMC3554710
12. Lina, T.T., Pinchuk, I.V., House, J., Y. Yamaoka, Graham, D.Y., Beswick, E.J.*, and V.E. Reyes. CagAdependent downregulation of B7-H2 on gastric mucosa and inhibition of Th17 responses during H. pylori
infection. J Immunol. 2013, 191:3838-3846. PMC3801271 *Co-senior author
13. Morris, K.T., Khan, H., Ahmad, A., Weston, L.L., Nofchissey, R.A., Pinchuk, I.V., and E.J. Beswick. GCSFR is over-expressed in human gastric and colon cancers and promotes carcinoma cell proliferation and
migration. Br J Cancer. 2014, 110:1211-1220. PMC3950854
Beswick, Ellen
14. Morris, K.T., Nofchissey, R.A., Pinchuk, I.V., and E.J. Beswick. Chronic macrophage migration inhibitory
factor exposure induces mesenchymal epithelial transition and promotes gastric and colon cancers.
PloSONE 2014, 9:98656-986. PMCID: in process.
15. Beswick EJ, Saada JI, Johnson JR, Humen M, House J, Dann SM, Qiu S, Powell DW, Reyes VE, and I.V.
Pinchuk. TLR4 activation enhances PD-L1-mediated tolerogenic capacity of colonic CD90+ stromal cells. J
Immunol. 2014. In press.
Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle):