BIOINFORMATICS SEMINAR SERIES

https://bioinformatics.udel.edu/seminar

CBCB Seminar

September 23, 2024 3:30 PM

Ammon-Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation (BPI) Building
Conference Room 140

Beyond genomics: Integrative multi-omics in cancer research

Dr. Ana Robles

Program Director in the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research (OCCPR)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

ABSTRACT: The treatment of cancer patients increasingly relies on genomic testing to match therapy to a patient’s tumor profile. This approach has led to great successes but there are still challenges and unmet needs. Thoughtful integration of genomics with other “omes” including the proteome, the final output of genes, may improve our understanding of tumor biology and lead to better matching of treatments to patients. The Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) is a National Cancer Institute’s multi-OMICs program that applies proteogenomics (Integration of comprehensive genomic and proteomic profiles) to characterize tumors. CPTAC data and publications have shown that integrative analysis of proteogenomic data adds missing biology. In particular, the mass-spectrometry based analysis of post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation, glycosylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination, provides pathway insights that cannot be gleaned from the analysis of genomic data alone. CPTAC supports the generation of proteogenomic resources (comprehensive proteomic and genomic datasets) associated with structured biospecimen and patient metadata, that include follow-up, treatment and outcome, and makes these data available through NCI-supported public data repositories. These data and associated bioinformatic analysis tools enable researchers worldwide to interrogate biological and clinical questions and promote translation of proteogenomic approaches into benefit for cancer patients.

BIO: Dr. Ana I. Robles is a Program Director in the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research (OCCPR) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). A cancer biologist, she provides scientific leadership and oversight to large-scale proteogenomics programs, including the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), and the International Cancer Proteogenome Consortium (ICPC). Prior to joining OCCPR, Dr. Robles was an Associate Scientist at the NCI, focused on lung cancer molecular epidemiology and prognostic biomarkers. Dr. Robles has co-authored 3 book chapters and over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and is member of journal Editorial Boards. Throughout her career at the NCI, Dr. Robles has mentored over 40 students, trainees, and postdoctoral fellows. She is recipient of the NCI Director’s Awards for Scientific Innovation and for Programmatic Vision, and numerous mentoring and travel awards. Dr. Robles completed undergraduate training in Chemistry at University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, holds a Ph.D. degree in Cancer Biology from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas, where she was a Rosalie B. Hite Pre-Doctoral Fellow, and completed postdoctoral training in the NCI Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis.