UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center : JCCC Member Directory

Joseph Gera, Ph.D.

Affiliation(s):

Associate Professor, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Associate Member, Molecular Biology Institute

Member, JCCC Signal Transduction and Therapeutics Program Area

Contact Information:

Phone:	(818) 895-9416
Email:	jgera@mednet.ucla.edu joseph.gera@va.gov

Scientific Interest(s):

Research in Dr. Joseph Gera’s laboratory is focused on understanding the signal transduction mechanisms promoting carcinogenesis and chemotherapeutic resistance in gliomas and the plasma cell neoplasm multiple myeloma. His group investigates the PI3-kinase/AKT and mTOR signaling pathways and has elucidated crucial molecular determinants involved in tumor cell responses to inhibitors of these cascades. Current research is also is centered on elucidating the role of the mTORC2 regulatory subunit Rictor in gliomagenesis.

Selected Cancer-Related Publications:

Jo OD, Martin J, Bernath A, Masri J, Lichtenstein A, Gera J. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 regulates cyclin D1 and c-myc internal ribosome entry site function through Akt signaling. J Biol Chem. 2008 Aug 22;283(34):23274-87. Epub 2008 Jun 18.

Shi Y, Frost PJ, Hoang BQ, Benavides A, Sharma S, Gera JF, Lichtenstein AK. IL-6-induced stimulation of c-myc translation in multiple myeloma cells is mediated by myc internal ribosome entry site function and the RNA-binding protein, hnRNP A1. Cancer Res. 2008 Dec 15;68(24):10215-22.

Masri J, Bernath A, Martin J, Jo OD, Vartanian R, Funk A, Gera J. mTORC2 activity is elevated in gliomas and promotes growth and cell motility via overexpression of rictor. Cancer Res. 2007 Dec 15;67(24):11712-20.

Marderosian M, Sharma A, Funk AP, Vartanian R, Masri J, Jo OD, Gera JF. Tristetraprolin regulates Cyclin D1 and c-Myc mRNA stability in response to rapamycin in an Akt-dependent manner via p38 MAPK signaling. Oncogene. 2006 Oct 12;25(47):6277-90. Epub 2006 May 15.

Shi Y, Sharma A, Wu H, Lichtenstein A, Gera J. Cyclin D1 and c-myc internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation is regulated by AKT activity and enhanced by rapamycin through a p38 MAPK- and ERK-dependent pathway. J Biol Chem. 2005 Mar 25;280(12):10964-73. Epub 2005 Jan 4.