Molly Duman Scheel Assistant Professor, Medical and Molecular Genetics Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences University of Notre Dame   Email:  mscheel@nd.edu Phone:  Office:  (574) 631-7194 Lab:  (574) 631-7192 Location:  Raclin-Carmichael Hall, Rm. 127   Ph.D., University of Chicago Postdoctoral Training, University of Chicago B.S., University of Notre Dame

 

Research interests:  Current research interests in our laboratory include genetic and comparative analysis of cellular growth, with emphasis on understanding axon growth and guidance.  This work has implications for both cancer biology and regenerative medicine.  The interactions between a tumor and its microenvironment are an important aspect of cancer progression.  The transformation of a cell and its clonal progeny into a tumor occurs in the context of surrounding cells.  Similarly, neural regeneration involves signaling between dying cells and cells in the local environment.  Thus it is important to study cell growth and regeneration in animal models in which the interactions between genetically distinct cells can be investigated.  We therefore use simple arthropod models, such as the genetically tractable fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster in our research.  The abilities to generate clones of mutant cells and to simultaneously study multiple mutations in Drosophila allow for the mimicking of human cancer and neural regeneration.  We have also recently extended our comparative growth studies in arthropods to include mosquitoes, arthropod vectors of human pathogens.  This work has potential implications for fighting mosquito-born diseases.

 

 

PUBLICATIONS:

• Duman-Scheel, M., Clark, S., Grunow, E., Hasley, A., Hill, B., and Simanton, W.  2007.  Delayed onset of midline netrin expression in Artemia franciscana coincides with commissural axon growth and provides evidence for homology of midline cells in distantly related arthropods.  Evol Dev. 9(2):  131-140.

• Duman-Scheel, M., Johnston, L., and Du W.  2004.  Repression of dMyc expression by wingless promotes RBF-induced G1 arrest in the presumptive Drosophila wing margin.  PNAS, USA, 101(11):  3857-3862.

• Duman-Scheel, M., Weng, L., Xin, S., and Du, W.  2002.  Hedgehog regulates cell growth and proliferation by inducing Cyclin D and Cyclin E.  Nature 417:  299-304.

• Duman-Scheel, M., Pirkl, N., and Patel, N.H.  2002.  Analysis of the expression pattern of Mysidium columbiae wingless provides evidence for conserved mesodermal and retinal patterning processes among insects and crustaceans.  Dev., Genes, Evol. 212: 114-123.
• Duman-Scheel, M. and Patel N.H.  1999.  Analysis of molecular marker expression reveals neuronal homology in distantly related arthropods.  Development 126 (11): 2327-2334.
• Duman-Scheel, M., Li, X., Orlov, I., Noll, M. and Patel, N.H.  1997.  Genetic separation of neural and cuticular patterning functions of gooseberry. Development 124 (15): 2855-2865.
• Eldon, E., Kooyer, S., D'Evelyn, D., Duman, M., Lawinger, P., Botas, J. and Bellen, H.  1994.  The Drosophila 18 wheeler gene is required for morphogenesis and has striking similarities to Toll.  Development 120(4): 885-899.