Nelson, Colleen

Associate Professor, Department of Surgery

Cross-appointments: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Genetics Program; Experimental Medicine Program
Senior Scientist, The Prostate Centre at VGH
Head, Gene Array Facility
Director, Genome BC Microarray Platform
B.Sc. (Honours), University of Wyoming
Ph.D., John Curtin School of Medical Research at The Australian National University, Canberra

Recipient

Outstanding Researcher of the Year, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, UBC (2003/2004)

Richard J. Finley Research Scholar Award, Department of Surgery, UBC (2003)

Senior Scholar, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (2001-2005)

Outstanding Researcher of the Year, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, UBC (2001)

Medical Research Council / Canadian Institutes of Health Research Faculty Scholarship (1998-2003)

Hjalmer Johnson Award, New Investigator, Department of Surgery, UBC (1998)

BC HRC Faculty Scholarship (1997-1998)

Research Interests

My research is centered on understanding the role of aberrant gene expression in prostate cancer progression, with emphasis on the mechanism of androgen-specific gene regulation and the progression to androgen independence. To study the progression of prostate cancer we use prostate tumour models that can be analyzed both in vitro and in vivo. Information regarding dysregulated gene networks is used in my laboratory and with collaborators for development of diagnostics and therapeutics for prostate cancer. Complementing my interests in gene expression changes, my lab investigates the mechanisms by which the androgen receptor regulates genes and how this is altered during prostate cancer progression. My lab also studies the effect of dietary and environmental factors on the possible cause, development and progression of prostate cancer.

In 1999 I established The Gene Array Facility at The Prostate Centre at VGH, which has facilitated the use of array-based technologies in my research. This centre also provides array technology to the genomic-based scientists in the broader research community and has received Genome Canada support to serve as the Genome BC Array Platform. This jointly-operated microarray center is a comprehensive multi-lab, multi-user facility containing all the critical elements required in the development, large-scale production, use and analysis of oligonucleotide and cDNA microarrays. The Gene Array Facility is also involved with a variety of emerging technologies in the array field including the examination of DNA-protein interactions, genetic polymorphisms (SNP chips) and antibody arrays for protein expression analysis.

Selected Publications

Ettinger SL, Sobel R, Whitmore T, Akbari M, Bradley D, Gleave ME, Nelson CC. Dysregulation of sterol response element binding proteins and downstream effectors in prostate cancer during progression to androgen independence. Cancer Research 64: 2212-21 (2004).

Gimenez-Bonafe P, Fedoruk MN, Whitmore T, Akbari M, Ralph JL, Ettinger S, Gleave ME, Nelson CC. YB-1 is upregulated during prostate cancer tumor progression and increases P-glycoprotein activity. The Prostate 59:337-49 (2004).

Fedoruk MN, Gimenez-Bonafe P, Guns ES, Mayer LD, Nelson CC. P-glycoprotein increases the efflux of the androgen dihydrotestosterone and reduces androgen responsive gene activity in prostate tumor cells. The Prostate 59: 77-90 (2004).

Gleave ME, Nelson CC, Chi K. Antisense targets to enhance hormone and cytotoxic therapies in advanced prostate cancer. Current Drug Targets 4: 209-21 (2003).

Mulholland DJ, Read JR, Rennie PS, Cox ME, Nelson CC: Functional localization and competition between the androgen receptor and T-cell factor for nuclear b-Catenin: a means for inhibition of the Tcf signaling axis. Oncogene 22: 5602-13 (2003).

Ralph JL, Orgebin-Crist MC, Lareyre JJ, Nelson CC. Disruption of androgen regulation in the prostate by the environmental contaminant hexachlorobenzene. Environmental Health Perspectives 111: 461-6 (2003).