Nathan Ellis, PhD
Cancer Biology Program co-Leader
Cancer Biology Program
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Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Co-Leader, Cancer Biology Research Program
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology - GIDP
Chair, ABBS Program
Chair, Genetics - GIDP
Biography
Dr. Ellis obtained his PhD at the University of Washington studying X-chromosome inactivation and did post-doctoral training at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund analyzing the sex determining region of the Y chromosome. In 1990, he joined the New York Blood Center where, with James German and Joanna Groden, he characterized the molecular genetics of the gene mutated in Bloom’s syndrome BLM. In 1997, Ellis took a position at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, investigating the genetic epidemiology of colorectal cancer. He has held positions at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago, working on cancer health disparities. Ellis joined the University of Arizona in 2014.
Cancer Focus
Ellis’ research is dedicated to understanding the relationship between genetic variation and cancer susceptibility in humans. He conducts basic investigations into the relationship between genomic instability and cancer susceptibility and in characterization of the genomics of colorectal cancers in diverse ethnic populations. His most recent work has been in characterization of epigenetic changes underlying early-onset colorectal cancers and characterization of basic mechanisms underlying responses to replication stress.
Selected Publications
Augustus, G. J., R. M. Xicola, X. Llor, and N. A. Ellis, "Decreased copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity in African American colorectal cancers.", Genes Chromosomes Cancer, vol. 59, issue 8, pp. 454-464, 2020 Aug. PMID: 32293075
Pond, K. W., C. de Renty, M. K. Yagle, and N. A. Ellis, "Rescue of collapsed replication forks is dependent on NSMCE2 to prevent mitotic DNA damage.", PLoS Genet, vol. 15, issue 2, pp. e1007942, 2019 02. PMCID: PMC6383951 PMID: 30735491
Xicola, R. M., Z. Manojlovic, G. J. Augustus, S. S. Kupfer, R. Emmadi, V. Alagiozian-Angelova, T. Triche, B. Salhia, J. Carpten, X. Llor, et al., "Lack of APC somatic mutation is associated with early-onset colorectal cancer in African Americans.", Carcinogenesis, vol. 39, issue 11, pp. 1331-1341, 2018 Dec 13. PMCID: PMC6292413 PMID: 30239619
Augustus, G. Julian, D. J. Roe, E. T. Jacobs, P. Lance, and N. A. Ellis, "Is increased colorectal screening effective in preventing distant disease?", PLoS One, vol. 13, issue 7, pp. e0200462, 2018. PMCID: PMC6042755 PMID: 30001362
Augustus, G. J., and N. A. Ellis, "Colorectal Cancer Disparity in African Americans: Risk Factors and Carcinogenic Mechanisms.", Am J Pathol, vol. 188, issue 2, pp. 291-303, 2018 02. PMCID: PMC5785537 PMID: 29128568
Yazici, C., P. G. Wolf, H. Kim, T-W. L. Cross, K. Vermillion, T. Carroll, G. J. Augustus, E. Mutlu, L. Tussing-Humphreys, C. Braunschweig, et al., "Race-dependent association of sulfidogenic bacteria with colorectal cancer.", Gut, vol. 66, issue 11, pp. 1983-1994, 2017 11. PMCID: PMC5575988 PMID: 28153960
Xicola, R. M., M. Gagnon, J. R. Clark, T. Carroll, W. Gao, C. Fernandez, D. Mijic, J. B. Rawson, A. Janoski, C. K. Pusatcioglu, et al., "Excess of proximal microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer in African Americans from a multiethnic study.", Clin Cancer Res, vol. 20, issue 18, pp. 4962-70, 2014 Sep 15. PMCID: PMC4167473 PMID: 25013126