Current Research Projects
 
Mouse Models of Human Brain Tumors
Principal Investigator: Mark A. Israel MD
Co-Principal Investigator: William A. Weiss MD, PhD
 
The overall goal of this project is to develop and exploit mouse models that faithfully recapitulate the biology and genetics of astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma, the most commonly occurring human primary brain tumors.
 
An Inhibitable Allele of v-erbB to Test the Role of EGFR in Initiation and Maintenance of Tumors
Principal Investigator: William A. Weiss MD, PhD
 
The goals of this project are to engineer mutations in v-erbB, and to design chemical inhibitors that will specifically inhibit the mutant allele. This inhibitable allele of v-erbB will be used to generate transgenic mice in which we can test whether v-erbB is required for initiation or maintenance of tumorigenesis.
 
EGFRvIII Induced Glioma, and Inhibitor Based Treatment Models
Principal Investigator: William A. Weiss MD, PhD
 
The goals of this project are to engineer mutations in EGFR and to design chemical inhibitors that will specifically inhibit the mutant allele. This inhibitable allele of EGFR will be used to generate transgenic mice in which we can test whether EGFR is required for initiation or maintenance of tumorigenesis.
 
Genetics of a Transgenic Model for Neuroblastoma
Principal Investigator: William A. Weiss MD, PhD
 
The goals of this project are to use loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis from murine neuroblastoma to identify genes that collaborate with MYCN in causing neuroblastoma in the mouse.
 
Modifier Screen and Expression Array Analysis in a Mouse Model for Neuroblastoma
Principal Investigator: William A. Weiss MD, PhD
 
Mice with neuroblastoma show strain specific differences in penetrance. The goal of this project is to combine expression array analysis with our modifier screen to identify the modifiers that underlie these strain specific differences.