Biography
Adam Marcus, PhD, is Winship 5K Research Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Marcus serves as deputy director for Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, leading the integration of the research, clinical, and educational components within Winship. He also previously served as associate director of basic research and shared resources, and in 2021 served as interim executive director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He has provided senior leadership oversight of the current Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) planning process and contributed to Winship's successful CCSG submissions in 2011 and 2016.
Dr. Marcus also serves as senior associate dean for research for Emory University School of Medicine where he is responsible for refining the School of Medicine research strategy in close partnership with Woodruff Health Sciences Center leaders, School of Medicine leaders, and department chairs and vice chairs of research across the school. He has previously served as associate vice president for research in Emory University's Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and as associate dean for novel technology and research cores leading the Emory Integrated Core Facilities and Division of Animal Resources.
Dr. Marcus also previously served as scientific director for 18 years of the Emory Integrated Cell Imaging Core (ICI), a jointly managed shared resource of Winship Cancer Institute and Emory University School of Medicine.
Dr. Marcus joined the faculty at Winship Cancer Institute in 2006, and developed his own laboratory which focuses on cell biology and pharmacology in lung and breast cancer. He is a national leader in understanding how cancer cells invade and metastasize and how to apply this knowledge in developing new therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Marcus has led a long-standing effort to stimulate critical thinking and enthusiasm for sciences in children from kindergarten through 12th grade in the state of Georgia. In addition, he collaborates with Theresa Gillespie, PhD, to increase underrepresented minority participation in STEM with a focus on middle-school students through grant support from the National Institutes of Health.
In 2014, Dr. Marcus gave a TEDx talk on how the future of personalized medicine in cancer care is already here today. View video.
Education
Dr. Marcus received his PhD in Biology from Penn State University in 2002 and went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship in cancer pharmacology at Emory University in the laboratory of Dr. Paraskevi Giannakakou from 2002 to 2004.
Titles & Roles
-
Winship 5K Research Professor, Department of Hematology and Medical OncologyEmory University School of Medicine
-
Deputy DirectorWinship Cancer Institute of Emory University
-
Senior Associate Dean of ResearchEmory University School of Medicine
Research
Dr. Marcus' laboratory studies how cancer cells invade and metastasize using a combination of molecular and imaging-based approaches. His work focuses on how cancer cells cooperate during invasion and metastasis. He has developed a new image-guided genomics platform to precisely isolate any living cell(s) of interest for functional genomic analysis, a technique termed Spatiotemporal Cellular and Genomic Analysis. This work in lung, breast and melanoma has led to an understanding of how differential sub-populations within a tumor contribute to metastasis. He is now developing several small molecular inhibitors that seek to target these highly invasive tumor sub-populations.
His work is also focused on the lung cancer tumor suppressor protein and epithelial signaling protein, LKB1. This serine/threonine kinase is mutated in 30% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer; however, the functional significance of LKB1 loss in lung cancer is unknown. His group has shown that LKB1 plays a central role in cancer cell migration by behaving as a dynamic, actin-associated protein that regulates the cell polarity and adhesion pathway. Currently his work is focused on understanding how LKB1 mutations impact metastasis in mouse models and use this information to develop new treatments that can be specific for LKB1-inactivated tumors.
Dr. Marcus' laboratory has been funded by National Cancer Institute, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, American Cancer Society and private donations.
Grants
Publications
| Title/Journal | Authors | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|
|
MGAT1-Guided complex N-Glycans on CD73 regulate immune evasion in triple-negative breast cancer. Nature communications |
JJ Chi, P Xie, MH Cheng, Y Zhu, X Cui, J Watson, L Zeng, A Uddin, H Nguyen, L Li, K Moremen, A Reedy, M Wyatt, A Marcus, M Dai, CM Paulos, M Cristofanilli, WJ Gradishar, S Zhao, K Kalinsky, MC Hung, I Bahar, B Zhang, Y Wan | 04/15/2025 |
|
TGF-β1-mediated intercellular signaling fuels cooperative cellular invasion. Cell reports |
TO Khatib, BA Pedro, S Bombin, VY Matsuk, IE Robinson, SF Webster, LJ Marcus, ER Summerbell, GK Tharp, CM Knippler, P Bagchi, J Kowalski-Muegge, HR Johnston, H Ghalei, PM Vertino, JK Mouw, AI Marcus | 02/25/2025 |
|
Nature cancer |
BK Tripathi, NH Hirsh, X Qian, ME Durkin, D Wang, AG Papageorge, R Lake, YA Evrard, AI Marcus, SS Ramalingam, M Dasso, KH Vousden, JH Doroshow, KJ Walters, DR Lowy | 12/01/2024 |
|
Live-Cell Invasive Phenotyping Uncovers ALK2 as a Therapeutic Target in LKB1-Mutant Lung Cancer. Cancer research |
J Koo, CS Seong, RE Parker, A Herrera, B Dwivedi, RA Arthur, AR Dinasarapu, HR Johnston, H Claussen, C Tucker-Burden, SS Ramalingam, H Fu, W Zhou, AI Marcus, M Gilbert-Ross | 11/15/2024 |
|
iScience |
R Sharma, S Sharma, P Shriwas, L Mehta, AH Vu, JK Mouw, J Koo, C Huang, VY Matsuk, C Tucker-Burden, G Joseph, M Behera, SY Sun, MA Roy, M Gilbert-Ross, T Leal, AI Marcus, M Shanmugam | 11/15/2024 |
|
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology |
SC Samson, A Rojas, RG Zitnay, KR Carney, W Hettinga, MC Schaelling, D Sicard, W Zhang, M Gilbert-Ross, GK Dy, MJ Cavnar, M Furqan, RF Browning, AR Naqash, BP Schneider, A Tarhini, DJ Tschumperlin, A Venosa, AI Marcus, LL Emerson, BT Spike, BS Knudsen, MC Mendoza | 09/21/2024 |
|
Subpopulation commensalism promotes Rac1-dependent invasion of single cells via laminin-332. The Journal of cell biology |
SB Yoon, L Chen, IE Robinson, TO Khatib, RA Arthur, H Claussen, NM Zohbi, H Wu, JK Mouw, AI Marcus | 06/03/2024 |
|
International journal of molecular sciences |
L Monterroza, MM Parrilla, SG Samaranayake, DE Rivera-Rodriguez, SB Yoon, R Bommireddy, J Hosten, LC Barragan, A Marcus, BS Dobosh, P Selvaraj, R Tirouvanziam | 05/15/2024 |
|
Bisbiguanide analogs induce mitochondrial stress to inhibit lung cancer cell invasion. iScience |
CM Knippler, JL Arnst, IE Robinson, V Matsuk, TO Khatib, RD Harvey, M Shanmugam, JK Mouw, H Fu, T Ganesh, AI Marcus | 04/19/2024 |
|
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology |
J Koo, CS Seong, RE Parker, B Dwivedi, RA Arthur, AR Dinasarapu, HR Johnston, H Claussen, C Tucker-Burden, SS Ramalingam, H Fu, W Zhou, AI Marcus, M Gilbert-Ross | 06/14/2023 |
|
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology |
TO Khatib, AM Amanso, B Pedro, CM Knippler, ER Summerbell, NM Zohbi, JM Konen, JK Mouw, AI Marcus | 03/01/2023 |
|
Loss of the endocytic tumor suppressor HD-PTP phenocopies LKB1 and promotes RAS-driven oncogenesis. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology |
CS Seong, C Huang, AC Boese, Y Hou, J Koo, JK Mouw, M Rupji, G Joseph, HR Johnston, H Claussen, JM Switchenko, M Behera, M Churchman, JM Kolesar, SM Arnold, K Kerrigan, W Akerley, H Colman, MA Johns, C Arciero, W Zhou, AI Marcus, SS Ramalingam, H Fu, M Gilbert-Ross | 01/27/2023 |
|
PloS one |
TO Khatib, AM Amanso, CM Knippler, B Pedro, ER Summerbell, NM Zohbi, JM Konen, JK Mouw, AI Marcus | 01/01/2023 |
|
Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands) |
F Liu, Y Liu, X Liu, K Mao, D Zhong, AI Marcus, FR Khuri, SY Sun, Y He, W Zhou | 04/01/2021 |
|
Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands) |
K Mao, F Liu, X Liu, FR Khuri, AI Marcus, M Li, W Zhou | 04/01/2021 |
|
Molecular cancer therapeutics |
R Jin, B Liu, X Liu, Y Fan, W Peng, C Huang, A Marcus, G Sica, M Gilbert-Ross, Y Liu, W Zhou | 02/01/2021 |
|
Prognostic significance of an invasive leader cell-derived mutation cluster on chromosome 16q. Cancer |
B Pedro, M Rupji, B Dwivedi, J Kowalski, JM Konen, TK Owonikoko, SS Ramalingam, PM Vertino, AI Marcus | 07/01/2020 |
|
Science advances |
ER Summerbell, JK Mouw, JSK Bell, CM Knippler, B Pedro, JL Arnst, TO Khatib, R Commander, BG Barwick, J Konen, B Dwivedi, S Seby, J Kowalski, PM Vertino, AI Marcus | 07/01/2020 |
|
Nature communications |
R Commander, C Wei, A Sharma, JK Mouw, LJ Burton, E Summerbell, D Mahboubi, RJ Peterson, J Konen, W Zhou, Y Du, H Fu, M Shanmugam, AI Marcus | 03/24/2020 |
|
Genetic heterogeneity within collective invasion packs drives leader and follower cell phenotypes. Journal of cell science |
EL Zoeller, B Pedro, J Konen, B Dwivedi, M Rupji, N Sundararaman, L Wang, JR Horton, C Zhong, BG Barwick, X Cheng, ED Martinez, MP Torres, J Kowalski, AI Marcus, PM Vertino | 10/09/2019 |
|
Advanced biosystems |
KG Birmingham, MJ O'Melia, D Ban, J Mouw, EE Edwards, AI Marcus, J McDonald, SN Thomas | 03/01/2019 |
|
PloS one |
TK Owonikoko, G Zhang, SB Lallani, Z Chen, DE Martinson, FR Khuri, S Lonial, A Marcus, SY Sun | 01/01/2019 |
|
Inhibition of IGF1R enhances 2-deoxyglucose in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands) |
F Liu, Y Liu, X Liu, K Mao, D Zhong, AI Marcus, FR Khuri, SY Sun, Y He, W Zhou | 09/01/2018 |
|
TASI: A software tool for spatial-temporal quantification of tumor spheroid dynamics. Scientific reports |
Y Hou, J Konen, DJ Brat, AI Marcus, LAD Cooper | 05/08/2018 |
|
The complex ecosystem in non small cell lung cancer invasion. PLoS computational biology |
S Haney, J Konen, AI Marcus, M Bazhenov | 05/01/2018 |
|
Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research |
AM Richardson, LS Havel, AE Koyen, JM Konen, J Shupe, WG Wiles, WD Martin, HE Grossniklaus, G Sica, M Gilbert-Ross, AI Marcus | 01/15/2018 |
|
Modulation of Bax and mTOR for Cancer Therapeutics. Cancer research |
R Li, C Ding, J Zhang, M Xie, D Park, Y Ding, G Chen, G Zhang, M Gilbert-Ross, W Zhou, AI Marcus, SY Sun, ZG Chen, GL Sica, SS Ramalingam, AT Magis, H Fu, FR Khuri, WJ Curran, TK Owonikoko, DM Shin, J Zhou, X Deng | 06/01/2017 |
|
Nature communications |
J Konen, E Summerbell, B Dwivedi, K Galior, Y Hou, L Rusnak, A Chen, J Saltz, W Zhou, LH Boise, P Vertino, L Cooper, K Salaita, J Kowalski, AI Marcus | 05/12/2017 |
|
Nature communications |
Z Li, AA Ivanov, R Su, V Gonzalez-Pecchi, Q Qi, S Liu, P Webber, E McMillan, L Rusnak, C Pham, X Chen, X Mo, B Revennaugh, W Zhou, A Marcus, S Harati, X Chen, MA Johns, MA White, CS Moreno, LAD Cooper, Y Du, FR Khuri, H Fu | 04/18/2017 |
|
Targeting adhesion signaling in KRAS, LKB1 mutant lung adenocarcinoma. JCI insight |
M Gilbert-Ross, J Konen, J Koo, J Shupe, BS Robinson, WG Wiles, C Huang, WD Martin, M Behera, GH Smith, CE Hill, MR Rossi, GL Sica, M Rupji, Z Chen, J Kowalski, AL Kasinski, SS Ramalingam, H Fu, FR Khuri, W Zhou, AI Marcus | 03/09/2017 |
|
Nature communications |
Z Li, AA Ivanov, R Su, V Gonzalez-Pecchi, Q Qi, S Liu, P Webber, E McMillan, L Rusnak, C Pham, X Chen, X Mo, B Revennaugh, W Zhou, A Marcus, S Harati, X Chen, MA Johns, MA White, C Moreno, LA Cooper, Y Du, FR Khuri, H Fu | 02/16/2017 |
|
Coordinated cell motility is regulated by a combination of LKB1 farnesylation and kinase activity. Scientific reports |
S Wilkinson, Y Hou, JT Zoine, J Saltz, C Zhang, Z Chen, LA Cooper, AI Marcus | 01/19/2017 |
|
Local alignment vectors reveal cancer cell-induced ECM fiber remodeling dynamics. Scientific reports |
B Lee, J Konen, S Wilkinson, AI Marcus, Y Jiang | 01/03/2017 |
|
A role for activated Cdc42 in glioblastoma multiforme invasion. Oncotarget |
H Okura, BJ Golbourn, U Shahzad, S Agnihotri, N Sabha, JR Krieger, CA Figueiredo, A Chalil, N Landon-Brace, A Riemenschneider, H Arai, CA Smith, S Xu, S Kaluz, AI Marcus, EG Van Meir, JT Rutka | 08/30/2016 |
|
Oncotarget |
P De, JH Carlson, H Wu, A Marcus, B Leyland-Jones, N Dey | 07/12/2016 |
|
The Journal of biological chemistry |
CJ Coke, KA Scarlett, MA Chetram, KJ Jones, BJ Sandifer, AS Davis, AI Marcus, CV Hinton | 05/06/2016 |
|
Molecular biology of the cell |
J Konen, S Wilkinson, B Lee, H Fu, W Zhou, Y Jiang, AI Marcus | 04/01/2016 |
|
Oncotarget |
F Liu, R Jin, X Liu, H Huang, SC Wilkinson, D Zhong, FR Khuri, H Fu, A Marcus, Y He, W Zhou | 01/19/2016 |
|
Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands) |
K Mao, F Liu, X Liu, FR Khuri, AI Marcus, M Li, W Zhou | 05/01/2015 |
|
Oncogene |
LS Havel, ER Kline, AM Salgueiro, AI Marcus | 04/09/2015 |
|
Oncotarget |
L Taliaferro-Smith, E Oberlick, T Liu, T McGlothen, T Alcaide, R Tobin, S Donnelly, R Commander, E Kline, GP Nagaraju, L Havel, A Marcus, R Nahta, R O'Regan | 03/10/2015 |
|
RhoA, a novel tumor suppressor or oncogene as a therapeutic target? Genes & diseases |
M Gilbert-Ross, AI Marcus, W Zhou | 03/01/2015 |
|
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy for monitoring biomolecular interactions. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) |
AL Mattheyses, AI Marcus | 01/01/2015 |
|
LKB1 Tumor Suppressor: Therapeutic Opportunities Knock when LKB1 Is Inactivated. Genes & diseases |
W Zhou, J Zhang, AI Marcus | 09/01/2014 |
|
Journal of cell science |
M Brentnall, DB Weir, A Rongvaux, AI Marcus, LH Boise | 05/15/2014 |
|
Acetylated tubulin (AT) as a prognostic marker in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Head and neck pathology |
NF Saba, KR Magliocca, S Kim, S Muller, Z Chen, TK Owonikoko, NJ Sarlis, C Eggers, V Phelan, WJ Grist, AY Chen, SS Ramalingam, ZG Chen, JJ Beitler, DM Shin, FR Khuri, AI Marcus | 03/01/2014 |
|
PloS one |
SA Brodie, C Lombardo, G Li, J Kowalski, K Gandhi, S You, FR Khuri, A Marcus, PM Vertino, JC Brandes | 01/01/2014 |
|
Energizing the search to target LKB1-mutant tumors. Cancer discovery |
AI Marcus, FR Khuri | 08/01/2013 |
|
Dysregulation of mTOR activity through LKB1 inactivation. Chinese journal of cancer |
W Zhou, AI Marcus, PM Vertino | 08/01/2013 |
|
The Journal of biological chemistry |
ER Kline, J Shupe, M Gilbert-Ross, W Zhou, AI Marcus | 06/14/2013 |
|
PloS one |
Z Yang, A Garcia, S Xu, DR Powell, PM Vertino, S Singh, AI Marcus | 01/01/2013 |
|
uPAR-targeted optical imaging contrasts as theranostic agents for tumor margin detection. Theranostics |
L Yang, HK Sajja, Z Cao, W Qian, L Bender, AI Marcus, M Lipowska, WC Wood, YA Wang | 01/01/2013 |
|
AMPK regulates mitotic spindle orientation through phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain. Molecular and cellular biology |
JT Thaiparambil, CM Eggers, AI Marcus | 08/01/2012 |
|
Cancer |
HJ Khoury, G Garcia-Manero, G Borthakur, T Kadia, MC Foudray, M Arellano, A Langston, B Bethelmie-Bryan, S Rush, K Litwiler, S Karan, H Simmons, AI Marcus, M Ptaszynski, H Kantarjian | 07/15/2012 |
|
The Journal of biological chemistry |
CM Eggers, ER Kline, D Zhong, W Zhou, AI Marcus | 05/25/2012 |
|
International immunopharmacology |
A Olivera, TW Moore, F Hu, AP Brown, A Sun, DC Liotta, JP Snyder, Y Yoon, H Shim, AI Marcus, AH Miller, TW Pace | 02/01/2012 |
|
International journal of computational biology and drug design |
KY Kong, AI Marcus, P Giannakakou, MD Wang | 01/01/2012 |
|
International journal of cancer |
JT Thaiparambil, L Bender, T Ganesh, E Kline, P Patel, Y Liu, M Tighiouart, PM Vertino, RD Harvey, A Garcia, AI Marcus | 12/01/2011 |
|
A Web Interface for the Quantification of Microtubule Dynamics. IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine workshops. IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine |
KY Kong, AI Marcus, P Giaanakakou, MD Wang | 11/01/2011 |
|
Localization-specific LKB1 loss in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis. Head & neck |
ER Kline, S Muller, L Pan, M Tighiouart, ZG Chen, AI Marcus | 10/01/2011 |
|
Cancer |
J Kauh, C Chanel-Vos, D Escuin, MP Fanucchi, RD Harvey, N Saba, DM Shin, A Gal, L Pan, M Kutner, SS Ramalingam, L Bender, A Marcus, P Giannakakou, FR Khuri | 09/01/2011 |
|
Blood |
E David, JL Kaufman, CR Flowers, K Schafer-Hales, C Torre, J Chen, AI Marcus, SY Sun, LH Boise, S Lonial | 12/09/2010 |
|
LKB1 regulated pathways in lung cancer invasion and metastasis. Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer |
AI Marcus, W Zhou | 12/01/2010 |
|
The Journal of clinical investigation |
S Kang, S Elf, K Lythgoe, T Hitosugi, J Taunton, W Zhou, L Xiong, D Wang, S Muller, S Fan, SY Sun, AI Marcus, TL Gu, RD Polakiewicz, ZG Chen, FR Khuri, DM Shin, J Chen | 04/01/2010 |
|
Automatic tip selection for microtubule dynamics quantification. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference |
MO Malavé, X Zhao, KY Kong, AI Marcus, MD Wang | 01/01/2010 |
|
Biomolecule labeling and imaging with a new fluorenyl two-photon fluorescent probe. Bioconjugate chemistry |
AR Morales, CO Yanez, KJ Schafer-Hales, AI Marcus, KD Belfield | 10/21/2009 |
|
Molecular vision |
I Schmack, L Berglin, X Nie, J Wen, SJ Kang, AI Marcus, H Yang, MJ Lynn, JA Kapp, HE Grossniklaus | 01/01/2009 |
|
Molecular cancer therapeutics |
D Zhong, X Liu, K Schafer-Hales, AI Marcus, FR Khuri, SY Sun, W Zhou | 04/01/2008 |
|
Cancer research |
S Zhang, K Schafer-Hales, FR Khuri, W Zhou, PM Vertino, AI Marcus | 02/01/2008 |
|
Journal of the American Chemical Society |
G Ruan, A Agrawal, AI Marcus, S Nie | 11/28/2007 |
Awards
Recent awards and honors for Dr. Marcus' include:
- Emory 1% Award
- Innovation of the Year Award (2019), Emory Office of Technology Transfer
- 40 Under 40 Award, Atlanta Business Chronicle
- Faculty Mentor of the Year Award (2016), Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School
- National Lung Cancer Partnership Career Development Award
- Elsa J. Pardee Foundation Award
- American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award
- Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar
- Fund for Innovative Teaching Award
- Chair's Award for All Around Achievement
- Friends of Winship Scholar