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Christopher J. Westlake, Ph.D.

Christopher J. Westlake, Ph.D.

  • Center for Cancer Research
  • National Cancer Institute

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Dr. Westlake’s laboratory uses advanced fluorescence and electron microscopy imaging techniques, biochemical approaches and zebrafish models to investigate membrane trafficking processes regulated by the Rab small GTPase family that are important in development and disease. His current work focuses on a Rab11-Rab8 cascade which functions in primary cilium formation and apical membrane formation in polarized cells. His lab is also investigating the role of Rabs in the regulation of ciliary Hedgehog signaling. Defects in primary cilium formation and function are important in ciliopathy, diseases linked to primary cilia dysfunction, and cancer.

Areas of Expertise

Membrane Trafficking
Rab GTPases
Primary Cilia
Ciliopathy

Publications

Selected Recent Publications

Variants in the WDR44 WD40-repeat domain cause a spectrum of ciliopathy by impairing ciliogenesis initiation

Andrea Accogli, Saurabh Shakya, Taewoo Yang, Christine Insinna, ...... Christopher J Westlake
Nat Commun.. Jan 8;15(1): 365, 2024. [ Journal Article ]

Male infertility-associated Ccdc108 regulates multiciliogenesis via the intraflagellar transport machinery

Huijie Zhao, Jian Sun, Christine Insinna, Quanlong Lu, Ziqiu Wang, Kunio Nagashima, Jimmy Stauffer, Thorkell Andresson, Suzanne Specht, Sumeth Perera, Ira O Daar, Christopher J Westlake
EMBO Rep.. February 24: 2022.
Full-Text Article
[ Journal Article ]

Akt Regulates a Rab11-Effector Switch Required for Ciliogenesis

Walia V, Cuenca A, Vetter M, Insinna C, Perera S, Lu Q, Ritt DA, Semler E, Specht S, Stauffer J, Morrison DK, Lorentzen E, Westlake CJ
Dev Cell. Jul 22:50: 229-246, 2019. [ Journal Article ]

Investigation of F-BAR domain PACSIN proteins uncovers membrane tubulation function in cilia assembly and transport

Insinna C, Lu Q, Teixeira I, Harned A, Semler EM, Stauffer J, Magidson V, Tiwari A, Kenworthy AK, Narayan K, Westlake CJ
Nat Commun.. Jan 25:10: 428, 2019. [ Journal Article ]

Early steps in primary cilium assembly require EHD1/EHD3-dependent ciliary vesicle formation

Lu Q, Insinna C, Ott C, Stauffer J, Pintado PA, Rahajeng J, Baxa U, Walia V, Cuenca A, Hwang YS, Daar IO, Lopes S, Lippincott-Schwartz J, Jackson PK, Caplan S, Westlake CJ
Nat. Cell Biol. 17: 228-40, 2015. [ Journal Article ]

Job Vacancies

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Team

Staff Scientist
Quanlong Lu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow (Visiting)
Ipsita Saha, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow (Visiting)
Shirly Liu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow (Visiting)
Phuong Doan, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow (Visiting)
Taewoo Yang, Ph.D.
Postbac Fellow
Aamna Siddiqui
Postbac Fellow
Avaneesh Kilnagar

News

NEWS 

CCR News, June 13, 2019

Akt protein kinase pathway regulates key step in the initiation of cilia formation

https://ccr.cancer.gov/news/article/akt-protein-kinase-pathway-regulates-key-step-in-the-initiation-of-cilia-formation

Image

Alumni

Huijie Zhao, Ph.D.
Huijie Zhao, Ph.D.
Current Position:
Assistant Professor, Shandong Normal University
Sumeth Perera, Ph.D.
Sumeth Perera, Ph.D.
Current Position:
Senior Lecturer, Sabaragamuwa University
Christine Kettenhofen, Ph.D.
Christine Kettenhofen, Ph.D.
Current Position:
Head, Aquaculture Facility, NCI
Akiko Chiba, M.D.
Akiko Chiba, M.D.
Current Position:
Assistant Professor, Duke University
Vijay Walia, Ph.D.
Vijay Walia, Ph.D.
Current Postion:
Senior Director, Quest Diagnostics
Adrian Cuenca, Ph.D.
Adrian Cuenca, Ph.D.
Current Position:
Scientist, NCI
Matthew Weiss, M.D.
Matthew Weiss, M.D.
Current Position:
Physician, Rush University Medical Center
Peter John, M.D.
Peter John, M.D.
Current Position:
Physician, Baltimore, Maryland
Elizabeth Semler
Elizabeth Semler
Current Position:
Ph.D. Student, Vanderbilt University
Ziam Khan
Ziam Khan
Current Position:
Medical Student, University of Maryland
Jeffrey Gray, M.D. (deceased)
Jeffrey Gray, M.D. (deceased)
Physician, US Navy