Pamela Cook, PhD
Education
- BA, Communications, Wake Forest University
- BSN, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
- PhD, Interdisciplinary Program in Biological Sciences, Brody School of Medicine
Research Interest
Dr. Cook’s lab focuses on the effects of the human LINE-1 retrotransposon in cancer. LINE-1 is a type of transposable element in our DNA that can insert new copies of itself into the genome. This process is highly mutagenic, and multiple cellular mechanisms exist to repress it. LINE-1 is activated in many types of epithelial cancers. LINE-1 encodes two proteins, ORF1p and ORF2p. Dr. Cook’s research program is currently investigating the effects of LINE-1 on cellular response to therapies and the effects of ORF1p on cellular signaling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinases.