College of Medicine

Research Area(s)

  • Breast Cancer
  • Metastasis
  • Drug Sensitivities
  • Metastasis Suppressors

About

Director of Research and Senior Research Scientist
Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
Professor, Division of Oncology
Associate Member, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

Teaching

  • Biochemistry
  • Biology

Research

Dr. Anderson is studying cell signaling downstream from receptor tyrosine kinases and the mechanisms cells use to turn off these signals.  Her lab is working to understand how the regulation of the tumour suppressor protein, PTEN, a lipid phosphatase that counteracts cell survival and proliferative signals generated by PI3K, contributes to cancer. She is also interested in studying receptor endocytosis, trafficking and degradation pathways to determine the mechanisms used by cells to switch off receptor signaling.  More recently, her lab has also been involved in studying the function of the metastasis suppressor protein CREB3L1.

Clinical Interests

Drug discovery for breast cancer

Education

  • BSc Biochemistry, University of Manitoba
  • PhD Biochemistry, University of Manitoba
  • PDF Cancer Cell Signaling, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto

Selected Publications

  • Anderson, DH (2020) Book chapter title: Luminal A breast cancer resistance mechanisms and emerging treatments, in “Biological Mechanisms and the Advancing Approaches to Overcoming Cancer Drug Resistance”. Edited by Freywald A, Vizeacoumar FJ. Elsevier Publishing. Volume 12, 1st Edition. Hardcover ISBN: 9780128213100; eBook ISBN: 9780128213117. Imprint: Academic Press. Published Date: 18th November 2020. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128213100000103
  • Marshall JDS, Whitecross DE, Mellor P, Anderson DH (2019) Impact of p85α Alterations in Cancer. BioMolecules 2019 Jan 15;9(1), 29 (IF 4.5) PMID: 30650664; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30650664
  • Marshall JDS, Mellor P, Ruan X, Whitecross DE, Moore SA, Anderson DH (2018) Insight into the p85a – PTEN interaction and lipid binding properties of the p85a BH domain. Oncotarget. 2018; 9:36975-36992 (IF 8.7) PMID: 30561929; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30651929
  • Mellor P, Marshall JDS, Ruan X, Whitecross DE, Ross RL, Knowles MA, Moore SA, Anderson DH (2018) Patient-derived mutations within the N-terminal domains of p85α impact PTEN or Rab5 binding and regulation. Sci Rep. May 8;8(1):7108. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-25487-5. (IF 5.5) PMID: 29740032; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29740032
  • Whitecross DE, Anderson DH (2017) Identification of the Binding Sites on Rab5 and p110beta Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Sci Rep. Nov 23;7(1):16194. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-16029-6. (IF 5.5) PMID: 29170408; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29170408
  • Smith SE, Mellor P, Ward AK, Kendall S, McDonald M, Vizeacoumar FS, Vizeacoumar FJ, Napper S, Anderson DH (2017) Molecular characterization of breast cancer cell lines through multiple omic approaches. Breast Cancer Res. Jun 5;19(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s13058-017-0855-0. (IF 5.87) PMID: 28583138; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28583138
  • Ward AK, Mellor P, Smith S, Kendall S, Just NA, Vizeacoumar FS, Sarker S, Phillips Z, Alvi R, Saxena A, Vizeacoumar FJ, Carlsen SA, and Anderson DH (2016) Epigenetic silencing of CREB3L1 by DNA methylation is associated with high-grade metastatic breast cancers with poor prognosis and is prevalent in triple negative breast cancers.  Breast Cancer Res. Jan 25;18(1):12. (IF 5.87) PMID: 26810754; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26810754
  • Mellor P, Deibert L, Calvert B, Bonham K, Carlsen SA and Anderson DH (2013) CREB3L1 is a metastasis suppressor that represses expression of genes regulating metastasis, invasion and angiogenesis.  Mol Cell Biol, 33, 4985-4995. (IF 5.04) PMID: 24126059; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24126059