The Elmore/Holt Research Laboratory

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ABOUT US

Laboratory Directors

Lynne Elmore, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and a member of the Massey Cancer Center. She is the recent recipient of a NCI/NIH Howard Temin Award, 2005-2010; and a Department of Defense, Breast Cancer Concept Award, 2005-2006; in addition to a Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Pathology Research award, a Massey Cancer Center breast cancer pilot project grant, and an institutional American Cancer Society Award.

Dr. Elmore completed her PhD in Pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA in 1993. Her Advisor was Alphonse Sirica, PhD. She did her postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis at the National Cancer Institute from 1993-1997. Her sponsor was Curt Harris, MD.

Shawn Holt, PhD, is an Associate Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Pathology, the Department of Human Genetics, and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and is a member of the Massey Cancer Center. He was a recipient of the V Foundation Award for the Cancer Research Scholars Program, 2000-2002.

Said Dr. Holt, "Cancer has been characterized as a disease of aging. For example, in the past decade, approximately 1.5 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and yet, the molecular basis for the age-associated increase in breast cancer incidence remains poorly understood. If we can inhibit telomerase in breast cancer cells, we can essentially turn off cell division and ultimately cure the cancer. A similar train of thought can be applied to prostate cancer in biology."

Dr. Holt completed his PhD in Genetics at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX in 1994. His advisor was Van G. Wilson, PhD. He did his postdoctoral training in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, from 1994-1998. His sponsors were Jerry W. Shay, PhD and Woodring E. Wright, MD, PhD.

Research Staff


(Above) PhD students working on degrees in the Department of Human Genetics (from left to right) Malissa Liu, Patrick Sachs, and Amy Depcrynski
	Binh Nguyen is a PhD candidate in the Department of Pathology. He earned his bachelor's in biology at University of Virginia (UVA). After finishing his master's degree in anatomy at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), he entered the VCU Medical School's MD/PhD program. He finished his first 2 years of medical school and is now working on his PhD thesis in the laboratory of Dr. Shawn Holt. You may email Binh at bnnguyen@vcu.edu
Research Staff: Former Members
	Sarah Compton finished her PhD work in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. She earned her bachelors degree in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of the West of England. She entered the Ph.D. program in the year 2000 and is now doing her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her thesis work focused on the pharmacological regulation of chaperone proteins and their subsequent effects on the regulation of the enzyme telomerase.
	Keith O. Jensen was a PhD student in the Department of Human Genetics. Keith earned his B.S. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech). He finished his PhD dissertation entitled, "Dual Regulation of Telomerase Activity by HSF-1 and its Role in Prostate Cancer Progression."
	Patricia McChesney, PhD, was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the Massey Cancer Center and the Department of Pathology. Dr. McChesney earned her BA in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She went on to earn an MSc in Reproductive and Developmental Biology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She earned her PhD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Dr. McChesney is currently a junior faculty member in the Digestive Health Center of Excellence at the University of Virginia.
	Kennon Poynter was a PhD student in the Department of Human Genetics. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Mary Baldwin College. She recently finished her PhD dissertation on "Telomerase Inhibition and Sensitization of Breast Tumor Cells," and has taken a job as a clinical trials coordinator with Beaufort, Inc., in Norfolk, VA.

Updated March 3, 2008