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Renee Read, PhD

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Biography

Renee Read, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Read serves as co-leader of the Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Education

Dr. Read earned her PhD in Developmental Biology from the University of Washington. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Titles & Roles

  • Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology
    Emory University School of Medicine
  • Co-Leader, Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program
    Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University

Research

Dr. Read's lab seeks to understand the molecular logic underlying the initiation and progression of primary brain tumors in order to gain new insights into neurodevelopment and neurophysiology that can contribute to improved treatment and diagnosis of these diseases. Glioblastomas, the most common and deadly primary brain tumors, display signature genetic lesions that perturb the activity of genes that normally regulate essential developmental and homeostatic processes in the central nervous system. In particular, the most common mutations found in glioblastomas result in constitutive activation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and Pi-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways. Yet, how these mutations drive tumorigenesis is unclear, and how to effectively target these pathways therapeutically remains to be determined. Her research program is designed to discover new regulators of gliomagenesis using multidisciplinary genetic and molecular approaches.

Grants

Publications

Title/Journal Authors Publication Date

Isoform balance of the long noncoding RNA NEAT1 is regulated by the RNA-binding protein QKI, governs the glioma transcriptome, and impacts cell migration.

The Journal of biological chemistry

 PM Zakutansky, L Ku, G Zhang, L Shi, Y Li, B Yao, GJ Bassell, RD Read, Y Feng 08/01/2024

Glioblastoma microenvironment-from biology to therapy.

Genes & development

 RD Read, ZM Tapp, P Rajappa, D Hambardzumyan 06/25/2024

A protocol to use Drosophila melanogaster larvae to model human glioblastoma.

STAR protocols

 JG Saborio, EE Young, AS Chen, RD Read 09/16/2022

Repurposing the drug verteporfin as anti-neoplastic therapy for glioblastoma.

Neuro-oncology

 RD Read 05/04/2022

YAP/TAZ Transcriptional Coactivators Create Therapeutic Vulnerability to Verteporfin in EGFR-mutant Glioblastoma.

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research

 K Vigneswaran, NH Boyd, SY Oh, S Lallani, A Boucher, SG Neill, JJ Olson, RD Read 03/01/2021

Platelet-derived growth factor beta is a potent inflammatory driver in paediatric high-grade glioma.

Brain : a journal of neurology

 JL Ross, Z Chen, CJ Herting, Y Grabovska, F Szulzewsky, M Puigdelloses, L Monterroza, J Switchenko, NR Wadhwani, PJ Cimino, A Mackay, C Jones, RD Read, TJ MacDonald, M Schniederjan, OJ Becher, D Hambardzumyan 02/12/2021

Reuse of Molecules for Glioblastoma Therapy.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

 A Koehler, A Karve, P Desai, J Arbiser, DR Plas, X Qi, RD Read, AT Sasaki, VS Gawali, DK Toukam, D Bhattacharya, L Kallay, DA Pomeranz Krummel, S Sengupta 01/28/2021

Genetic driver mutations introduced in identical cell-of-origin in murine glioblastoma reveal distinct immune landscapes but similar response to checkpoint blockade.

Glia

 Z Chen, CJ Herting, JL Ross, B Gabanic, M Puigdelloses Vallcorba, F Szulzewsky, ML Wojciechowicz, PJ Cimino, R Ezhilarasan, EP Sulman, M Ying, A Ma'ayan, RD Read, D Hambardzumyan 10/01/2020

Upregulation of the chromatin remodeler HELLS is mediated by YAP1 in Sonic Hedgehog Medulloblastoma.

Scientific reports

 MH Robinson, V Maximov, S Lallani, H Farooq, MD Taylor, RD Read, AM Kenney 09/20/2019

Drak/STK17A Drives Neoplastic Glial Proliferation through Modulation of MRLC Signaling.

Cancer research

 AS Chen, J Wardwell-Ozgo, NN Shah, D Wright, CL Appin, K Vigneswaran, DJ Brat, HI Kornblum, RD Read 03/15/2019

Drosophila melanogaster as a Model System for Human Glioblastomas.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology

 AS Chen, RD Read 01/01/2019

Pvr receptor tyrosine kinase signaling promotes post-embryonic morphogenesis, and survival of glia and neural progenitor cells in Drosophila.

Development (Cambridge, England)

 RD Read 12/04/2018

CDK5 Inhibition Resolves PKA/cAMP-Independent Activation of CREB1 Signaling in Glioma Stem Cells.

Cell reports

 S Mukherjee, C Tucker-Burden, E Kaissi, A Newsam, H Duggireddy, M Chau, C Zhang, B Diwedi, M Rupji, S Seby, J Kowalski, J Kong, R Read, DJ Brat 05/08/2018

Drosophila Brat and Human Ortholog TRIM3 Maintain Stem Cell Equilibrium and Suppress Brain Tumorigenesis by Attenuating Notch Nuclear Transport.

Cancer research

 S Mukherjee, C Tucker-Burden, C Zhang, K Moberg, R Read, C Hadjipanayis, DJ Brat 04/15/2016

A kinome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila Glia reveals that the RIO kinases mediate cell proliferation and survival through TORC2-Akt signaling in glioblastoma.

PLoS genetics

 RD Read, TR Fenton, GG Gomez, J Wykosky, SR Vandenberg, I Babic, A Iwanami, H Yang, WK Cavenee, PS Mischel, FB Furnari, JB Thomas 01/01/2013

Drosophila melanogaster as a model system for human brain cancers.

Glia

 RD Read 09/01/2011

Awards

Dr. Read has earned the following awards and honors:

  • Pathway to Independence Award, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2009
  • Sanofi-Aventis Discovery Grant, Salk-Sanofi Strategic Alliance, 2009
  • American Brain Tumor Association Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2008
  • National Research Service Award, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2005
  • Jakschik Award and Victor Hamburger Award, in recognition of research excellence at Washington University, 2003, 2002
  • Nominee, Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, Instruction in Biology, Washington University, 1999