B.S. in Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 1983
Ph.D. in Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 1991
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Intramural Research Training Award, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 1992-1997
BIOL 441SL/541SL Molecular Biology of Cancer Service-Learning
BIOL 465/565 Advanced Topics in Molecular Biological Techniques
BIOL 466/566 Molecular Studies of Cancer
BIOL 595 Readings and Discussion: Cancer Biology
BMOL 606 Grant/Proposal Writing
BMOL 616 Responsible Research Conduct
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Lab Research Interests
The Jorcyk Laboratory of Inflammatory Cytokines in Tumor Invasion and Metastasis
Our laboratory’s research interests are in the area of inflammatory cytokines and their role in tumor invasion and metastasis. For approximately 20 years, we have focused on studying how the interleukin-6 (IL-6)-family member oncostatin M (OSM) contributes to breast carcinoma progression. Our lab has conducted some of the field’s first research on OSM and cancer metastasis, particularly to bone and lung. We have been the first to demonstrate that OSM promotes increased numbers of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in mouse models of human breast cancer. Now we are addressing both how OSM interacts with IL-6 and promotes extracellular matrix remodeling in breast cancer metastasis. In addition, we have developed numerous cell lines and mouse tumor models of breast carcinoma.
Cytokines 2020, International Cytokine & Interferon Society annual conference, Seattle, WA (virtual), November 1-4, 2020
Short Presentation #1: Current understandings on how an inflammatory tumor microenvironment promotes invasion and early stage breast cancer metastasis. Simion C. Dinca, Daniel Greiner, Ken Tawara, and Cheryl L. Jorcyk
Short Presentation #2: A new mechanism for proinflammatory cytokine-promoted extracellular matrix remodeling in breast cancer. Simion C. Dinca, Daniel Greiner, and Cheryl L. Jorcyk
AACR 2021, American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (virtual), April 9-14, 2021.
Lab Members
Ken Tawara, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow
Simion Dinca BMOL PhD Student
Cody Wolf BMOL PhD Student
Travis Wertz BMOL PhD Student
Terrell Engmann BMOL PhD Rotation Student
Geraline Trossi-Tores BMOL PhD Rotation Student INBRE Research Fellowship
Haylie Grant Undergraduate Student B2B Research Fellow
Cooper McGrath Undergraduate Student B2B Research Fellow
Cassie Wigfall Undergraduate Student
Gwynn Spielman Undergraduate
Chris Johns Borah High School, Murdock Charitable Trust Partner in Science