Armin Gamper

Area of Study / Keywords

Cancer Biology DNA damage response radiation biology signal transduction kinase inhibitors therapy-induced immune response

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About

Please visit our lab website for more information.Gamper Lab website

Clinical Interests

We closely work with colleagues in the Cross Cancer Institute to translate our findings into the clinic.

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Research

Studying DNA Damage Signaling to Understand Cancer Development and to Improve Cancer Therapy

Higher eukaryotes have evolved a complex DNA damage response that involves DNA repair, cell cycle control and apoptosis. Aberration in each of these cellular processes can contribute to cancer development. At the same time fast proliferating cells such as cancer cells are particularly vulnerable to unrepaired DNA damage. This provides the basis for radiotherapy and most chemotherapies. Elucidating the mechanisms governing DNA repair and the DNA damage response therefore can help both cancer prevention and therapy. My graduate and postdoctoral studies have focused on examining the signalling pathways from DNA damage sensing to the activation of stress-response genes. The focus of my lab, established in 2015 at the University of Alberta, is to study the activation of the sensors of DNA double strand breaks, particularly in the context of chromatin, and the interplay between factors determining cell plasticity and the DNA Damage Response. Current research interests in the lab include in vitro and in vivo studies of: 1) the DNA damage signalling mechanisms and the therapeutic potential of targeting them; 2) the regulation of stemness transcription factors by DNA damage and hypoxia; 3) ionizing radiation-induced breast cancer cell plasticity; 4) breast cancer and lymphoma mouse models for image-guided radiation therapy; 5) development of novel methods to identify and visualize proteins at DNA-damage sites; 6) establishment of in vitro biological models to improve brachytherapy, 7) development of non-invasive tools to assess tumour response to ionizing radiation. My long-term goal is to find proteins that are drug targets for cancer treatment (such as radiosensitizers for radiation therapy) or prognostic markers that   increase the predictive value of therapeutic outcome (such as genes whose loss or overexpression synergistically enhances tumour progression).

                  My cancer and radiation biology lab combines the expertise in various disciplines to enable the knowledge transfer from molecular findings to preclinical studies in animals and ultimately to the clinic. My projects are founded on the multidisciplinary expertise I have developed during my training years, having used techniques and published in fields spanning from medicinal chemistry, biochemistry (including proteomics), molecular biology, radiation biology and oncology. Furthermore, I have assembled a team that expands the repertoire to animal studies and radiation treatment planning.

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Teaching

Opportunities

Students and Postdocs are welcome. For available research positions and details on research please visit the lab web page.

ONCOL 235 - Radiobiology

An introduction to the physics, chemistry, and biology of radiation effects on cells and tissues. Concepts discussed include the biological factors that influence the response of normal and neoplastic cells to radiation therapy; cell survival curves; linear energy transfer and relative biological effectiveness; effects on tissues of time, dose and fractionation of radiation treatment; and emerging concepts in radiobiology.

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ONCOL 566 - Radiation Biophysics

Current theories and models of cellular responses to ionizing radiation. Modification of radiation response. Radiobiology of normal and neoplastic tissue systems. Late effects of radiation on normal tissue. Radiobiological modeling of normal tissue complication, probability and tumor control probability.

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Browse more courses taught by Armin Gamper

Chow B., Warkentin B., McEwen M., Huang F., Nanda K., Gamper A.M., Menon G.

RADIATION RESEARCH. 2022 July; 198 (1):40-56 10.1667/RADE-21-00205.1

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Chow B., Warkentin B., Nanda K., Ghosh S., Huang F., Gamper A.M., Menon G.

PHYSICS IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY. 2022 February; 67 (4) 10.1088/1361-6560/ac4fa3

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Bukhari A.B., Chan G.K., Gamper A.M.

Frontiers in Oncology. 2022 February; 12 10.3389/fonc.2022.828684

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Bilyk O., Hamedi B., Dutta I., Newell M., Bukhari A.B., Gamper A.M., McVea R.C., Liu J., Schueler J., Siegers G.M., Field C.J., Postovit L.M.

NUTRITION AND CANCER-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL. 2022 January; 74 (4):1431-1445 10.1080/01635581.2021.1952453

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Sadat S.M.A., Wuest M., Paiva I.M., Munira S., Sarrami N., Sanaee F., Yang X., Paladino M., Binkhathlan Z., Karimi-Busheri F., Martin G.R., Jirik F.R., Murray D., Gamper A.M., Hall D.G., Weinfeld M., Lavasanifar A.

Frontiers in Oncology. 2021 December; 11 10.3389/fonc.2021.772920