Students

Name: Meghan Dukerich
Major Professor: Martin L. Privalsky
Department: Microbiology (Div Bio Sci)
Lab Phone: 
Email: msdukerich@ucdavis.edu
[Picture of Meghan Dukerich]
Degrees
BS - Northern Arizona University - Biology- Molecular and Cellular Emphasis - 2004

Research Interests
The role of thyroid hormones in the regulation of growth, development, reproduction and differentiation is mediated by specific transcription factors known as thyroid hormone nuclear receptors (TRs). Defects in TRs are associated with a variety of different cancers and endocrine disorders such as hepatocelluar carcinoma, renal clear cell carcinoma and resistance to thyroid hormone syndrome (RTH). Mutations in TR genes have been found to directly promote the activity of oncoproteins in birds, and recent evidence suggests that these mutations may contribute to carcinogenesis in humans as well. Currently, my project involves characterizing mutant human TRs found in renal clear cell carcinoma in order to help better understood both why different mutations are found in different carcinomas, and what is responsible for making these mutations oncogenic.
 
Publications
Worldwide genetic relationships among Francisella tularensis isolates determined by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis. Johansson A, Farlow J, Larsson P, Dukerich M, Chambers E, Bystrom M, Fox J, Chu M, Forsman M, Sjostedt A, Keim P. J Bacteriol. 2004 Sep;186(17):5808-18.

Population Structure, Genetic Diversity and Evolution of Francisella tularensis in the United States. Farlow J, Wagner D, Dukerich M, Stanley M, Chu M, Kubota K, Petersen J, Keim PJ. Submitted June 2005 to Emerging Infectious Diseases