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Kathy Shair, PhD








				

		Dr. Kathy Shair	
		

		    	
        
Contact
        
	
					

			kas361@pitt.edu	
			

		
					

			412-623-7717	
			

			
        		

		Fax: 412-623-7715	
		

		
		
					
1.8 Hillman Cancer Center
5117 Center Avenue
		
        
                
        







	

	
Education
PhD in Virology, University of Cambridge (UK)
BSc in Biochemistry (Honors), Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine (UK)
	



    




	

		
Academic Affiliation(s)

	
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Member, UPCI Cancer Virology Program
Member, Molecular Virology and Microbiology Graduate Program
	
	







Research
The Shair lab studies the human tumor virus “Epstein-Barr virus”, and  how virus-host interactions contribute to cancer mechanisms.  Our aim  is to understand molecular determinants of EBV oncogenesis and to  evaluate how EBV can communicate with the tumor microenvironment.  A  major focus will be to translate these molecular studies to animal  models using newly improved transgenic mice.  The goals are 1) to study  the combined effects of the viral proteins, latent membrane proteins  (LMP) 1 and LMP2A in epithelial cell oncogenesis by investigating  dysregulated signaling pathways and, 2) to generate a new line of LMP1  and LMP2A transgenic mice to model B cell lymphomas and nasopharyngeal  carcinoma.  These studies follow from our findings that LMP1 complements  LMP2A function by increasing progression to carcinomas and in  transgenic B cells leads to unique gene expression signatures enriched  in cancer and inflammatory pathways.  LMP1 and LMP2A are co-expressed in  EBV- associated tumors.  Studying their intra- and inter-cellular  effects will expand our understanding of how latent viruses become  tumorigenic and this knowledge can be used to improve therapeutic  strategies to treat virally-associated cancers.
Lab Personnel
Sean Khadem, BS – Technician
Divya Mudam, M.Sc – Volunteer
Laura Wasil, Ph.D - Postdoc



















Publications
	

	
Shair K. H, and Raab-Traub N. Transcriptome changes induced by Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 and LMP2A in transgenic lymphocytes and lymphoma. MBio. 3: pii: e00288-12. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00288-12. |  View Abstract
Shair K. H, Bendt K. M, Edwards R. H, Nielsen J. N, Moore D. T, and Raab-Traub N. Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) and LMP2A function cooperatively to promote carcinoma development in a mouse carcinogenesis model. J Virol. 86: 5352-5365. |  View Abstract
Meckes D. G, Jr., Shair K. H, Marquitz A. R, Kung C. P, Edwards R. H, and Raab-Traub N. Human tumor virus utilizes exosomes for intercellular communication. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 107: 20370-20375. |  View Abstract
Shair K. H, Schnegg C. I, and Raab-Traub N. Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein-1 effects on junctional plakoglobin and induction of a cadherin switch. Cancer Res. 69: 5734-5742. |  View Abstract
Shair K. H, Schnegg C. I, and Raab-Traub N. EBV latent membrane protein 1 effects on plakoglobin, cell growth, and migration. Cancer Res. 68: 6997-7005. |  View Abstract
Shair K. H, Bendt K. M, Edwards R. H, Bedford E. C, Nielsen J. N, and Raab-Traub N. EBV latent membrane protein 1 activates Akt, NFkappaB, and Stat3 in B cell lymphomas. PLoS Pathog. 3: e166. |  View Abstract
Thornburg N. J, Kulwichit W, Edwards R. H, Shair K. H, Bendt K. M, and Raab-Traub N. LMP1 signaling and activation of NF-kappaB in LMP1 transgenic mice. Oncogene. 25: 288-297. |  View Abstract