Maria Panchenko

Profile

Dr. Panchenko was professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston University Medical School where she taught and conducted research for 25 years. She was the sole primary investigator running a lab funded by a multi-million dollar grant from the National Institute of Health. She is the author of dozens of peer reviewed articles in areas including cell cycle, epigenetics, chromatin, and protein chemistry. Her research on colon cancer resulted in a discovery of a novel genetic marker.

My lab was investigating pathways of cell cycle, cell differentiation, and chromatin signaling. Specifically, I studied how chromatin factor and histone acetyl transferase complexes control the fine balance between epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, and ultimately tissue homeostasis. We discovered epigenetic pathways that directly regulate mammalian cell cycle progression and contribute to tissue regeneration or cancer. Experimental systems to examine my hypothesis included a variety of in vitro methods, cell cultures, as well as in vivo genetically modified mice models, and human tissues from the Pathology tissue bank. The human tissues included specimens of colorectal and other cancers of epithelial origins. This research resulted in several discoveries, including identification of a novel colon cancer marker.

Selected Recent Grants

R01DK087910 NIH NIDDK ($1,422,600)
“Histone Acetyl Transferase HBO1 in kidney epithelial cell cycle”

IRG-72-001-32 American Cancer Society ($60,000)
"Role of Jade-1 in the HAT HBO1 complex"

SDG 0535485T American Heart Association ($180,000)
“Jade-1 in hypoxic injury of Renal Epithelial Cells”