Adam Marcus, PhD
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Research Program
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Phone Number
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Email Address
Biography
Adam Marcus, PhD, serves as Deputy Director for Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, leading the integration of the research, clinical, and educational components within Winship. He previously served as Associate Director of Basic Research and Shared Resources, and in 2021 served as Interim Executive Director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He has been providing senior leadership oversight of the current Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) planning process and contributed to Winship's successful CCSG submissions in 2011 and 2016.
Dr. Marcus also serves as Associate Vice President for Research in Emory University's Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and as Associate Dean for Novel Technology and Research Cores leading the Emory Integrated Core Facilities and Division of Animal Resources. He provides strategic and operational oversight as well as scientific direction for the Emory Integrated Core Facilities, in partnership with Emory University School of Medicine and Woodruff Health Sciences Center leadership.
Dr. Marcus previously served as Scientific Director for 18 years of the Emory Integrated Cell Imaging Core (ICI), a jointly managed shared resource of Winship Cancer Institute and Emory University School of Medicine.
Dr. Marcus joined the faculty at Winship Cancer Institute in 2006, and developed his own laboratory which focuses on cell biology and pharmacology in lung and breast cancer. He is a national leader in understanding how cancer cells invade and metastasize and how to apply this knowledge in developing new therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Marcus is leading the effort to stimulate critical thinking and enthusiasm for sciences in children, kindergarten through 12th grade, in the state of Georgia. Along with Theresa Gillespie, PhD, he received a $1.2 million R25 Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Institutes of Health in 2016. The grant seeks to increase underrepresented minority participation in STEM, with a focus on middle-school students.
In 2014, Dr. Marcus gave a TEDx talk on how the future of personalized medicine in cancer care is already here today. View video.
Education
Dr. Marcus received his PhD in Biology from Penn State University in 2002 and went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship in cancer pharmacology at Emory University in the laboratory of Dr. Paraskevi Giannakakou from 2002 to 2004.
Titles & Roles
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Winship 5K Research Professor, Department of Hematology and Medical OncologyEmory University School of Medicine
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Deputy DirectorWinship Cancer Institute of Emory University
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Associate Vice President for ResearchWoodruff Health Sciences Center
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Associate Dean for Novel Technology and Research CoresEmory University School of Medicine
Research
Dr. Marcus' laboratory studies how cancer cells invade and metastasize using a combination of molecular and imaging-based approaches. His work focuses on how cancer cells cooperate during invasion and metastasis. He has developed a new image-guided genomics platform to precisely isolate any living cell(s) of interest for functional genomic analysis, a technique termed Spatiotemporal Cellular and Genomic Analysis. This work in lung, breast and melanoma has led to an understanding of how differential sub-populations within a tumor contribute to metastasis. He is now developing several small molecular inhibitors that seek to target these highly invasive tumor sub-populations.
His work is also focused on the lung cancer tumor suppressor protein and epithelial signaling protein, LKB1. This serine/threonine kinase is mutated in 30% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer; however, the functional significance of LKB1 loss in lung cancer is unknown. His group has shown that LKB1 plays a central role in cancer cell migration by behaving as a dynamic, actin-associated protein that regulates the cell polarity and adhesion pathway. Currently his work is focused on understanding how LKB1 mutations impact metastasis in mouse models and use this information to develop new treatments that can be specific for LKB1-inactivated tumors.
Dr. Marcus' laboratory has been funded by National Cancer Institute, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, American Cancer Society and private donations.
Grants
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Title/Journal Authors Publication Date Subpopulation commensalism promotes Rac1-dependent invasion of single cells via laminin-332.
The Journal of cell biology
SB Yoon, L Chen, IE Robinson, TO Khatib, RA Arthur, H Claussen, NM Zohbi, H Wu, JK Mouw, AI Marcus 03/06/2024 Bisbiguanide analogs induce mitochondrial stress to inhibit lung cancer cell invasion.
iScience
CM Knippler, JL Arnst, IE Robinson, V Matsuk, TO Khatib, RD Harvey, M Shanmugam, JK Mouw, H Fu, T Ganesh, AI Marcus 19/04/2024 bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
J Koo, CS Seong, RE Parker, B Dwivedi, RA Arthur, AR Dinasarapu, HR Johnston, H Claussen, C Tucker-Burden, SS Ramalingam, H Fu, W Zhou, AI Marcus, M Gilbert-Ross 14/06/2023 bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
TO Khatib, AM Amanso, B Pedro, CM Knippler, ER Summerbell, NM Zohbi, JM Konen, JK Mouw, AI Marcus 01/03/2023 Loss of the endocytic tumor suppressor HD-PTP phenocopies LKB1 and promotes RAS-driven oncogenesis.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
CS Seong, C Huang, AC Boese, Y Hou, J Koo, JK Mouw, M Rupji, G Joseph, HR Johnston, H Claussen, JM Switchenko, M Behera, M Churchman, JM Kolesar, SM Arnold, K Kerrigan, W Akerley, H Colman, MA Johns, C Arciero, W Zhou, AI Marcus, SS Ramalingam, H Fu, M Gilbert-Ross 27/01/2023 PloS one
TO Khatib, AM Amanso, CM Knippler, B Pedro, ER Summerbell, NM Zohbi, JM Konen, JK Mouw, AI Marcus 01/01/2023 Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
F Liu, Y Liu, X Liu, K Mao, D Zhong, AI Marcus, FR Khuri, SY Sun, Y He, W Zhou 01/04/2021 Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
K Mao, F Liu, X Liu, FR Khuri, AI Marcus, M Li, W Zhou 01/04/2021 Molecular cancer therapeutics
R Jin, B Liu, X Liu, Y Fan, W Peng, C Huang, A Marcus, G Sica, M Gilbert-Ross, Y Liu, W Zhou 01/02/2021 Prognostic significance of an invasive leader cell-derived mutation cluster on chromosome 16q.
Cancer
B Pedro, M Rupji, B Dwivedi, J Kowalski, JM Konen, TK Owonikoko, SS Ramalingam, PM Vertino, AI Marcus 01/07/2020 Science advances
ER Summerbell, JK Mouw, JSK Bell, CM Knippler, B Pedro, JL Arnst, TO Khatib, R Commander, BG Barwick, J Konen, B Dwivedi, S Seby, J Kowalski, PM Vertino, AI Marcus 01/07/2020 Nature communications
R Commander, C Wei, A Sharma, JK Mouw, LJ Burton, E Summerbell, D Mahboubi, RJ Peterson, J Konen, W Zhou, Y Du, H Fu, M Shanmugam, AI Marcus 24/03/2020 Genetic heterogeneity within collective invasion packs drives leader and follower cell phenotypes.
Journal of cell science
EL Zoeller, B Pedro, J Konen, B Dwivedi, M Rupji, N Sundararaman, L Wang, JR Horton, C Zhong, BG Barwick, X Cheng, ED Martinez, MP Torres, J Kowalski, AI Marcus, PM Vertino 09/10/2019 Advanced biosystems
KG Birmingham, MJ O'Melia, D Ban, J Mouw, EE Edwards, AI Marcus, J McDonald, SN Thomas 01/03/2019 PloS one
TK Owonikoko, G Zhang, SB Lallani, Z Chen, DE Martinson, FR Khuri, S Lonial, A Marcus, SY Sun 01/01/2019 Inhibition of IGF1R enhances 2-deoxyglucose in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
F Liu, Y Liu, X Liu, K Mao, D Zhong, AI Marcus, FR Khuri, SY Sun, Y He, W Zhou 01/09/2018 TASI: A software tool for spatial-temporal quantification of tumor spheroid dynamics.
Scientific reports
Y Hou, J Konen, DJ Brat, AI Marcus, LAD Cooper 08/05/2018 The complex ecosystem in non small cell lung cancer invasion.
PLoS computational biology
S Haney, J Konen, AI Marcus, M Bazhenov 01/05/2018 Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
AM Richardson, LS Havel, AE Koyen, JM Konen, J Shupe, WG Wiles, WD Martin, HE Grossniklaus, G Sica, M Gilbert-Ross, AI Marcus 15/01/2018 Modulation of Bax and mTOR for Cancer Therapeutics.
Cancer research
R Li, C Ding, J Zhang, M Xie, D Park, Y Ding, G Chen, G Zhang, M Gilbert-Ross, W Zhou, AI Marcus, SY Sun, ZG Chen, GL Sica, SS Ramalingam, AT Magis, H Fu, FR Khuri, WJ Curran, TK Owonikoko, DM Shin, J Zhou, X Deng 01/06/2017 Nature communications
J Konen, E Summerbell, B Dwivedi, K Galior, Y Hou, L Rusnak, A Chen, J Saltz, W Zhou, LH Boise, P Vertino, L Cooper, K Salaita, J Kowalski, AI Marcus 12/05/2017 Nature communications
Z Li, AA Ivanov, R Su, V Gonzalez-Pecchi, Q Qi, S Liu, P Webber, E McMillan, L Rusnak, C Pham, X Chen, X Mo, B Revennaugh, W Zhou, A Marcus, S Harati, X Chen, MA Johns, MA White, CS Moreno, LAD Cooper, Y Du, FR Khuri, H Fu 18/04/2017 Targeting adhesion signaling in KRAS, LKB1 mutant lung adenocarcinoma.
JCI insight
M Gilbert-Ross, J Konen, J Koo, J Shupe, BS Robinson, WG Wiles, C Huang, WD Martin, M Behera, GH Smith, CE Hill, MR Rossi, GL Sica, M Rupji, Z Chen, J Kowalski, AL Kasinski, SS Ramalingam, H Fu, FR Khuri, W Zhou, AI Marcus 09/03/2017 Nature communications
Z Li, AA Ivanov, R Su, V Gonzalez-Pecchi, Q Qi, S Liu, P Webber, E McMillan, L Rusnak, C Pham, X Chen, X Mo, B Revennaugh, W Zhou, A Marcus, S Harati, X Chen, MA Johns, MA White, C Moreno, LA Cooper, Y Du, FR Khuri, H Fu 16/02/2017 Coordinated cell motility is regulated by a combination of LKB1 farnesylation and kinase activity.
Scientific reports
S Wilkinson, Y Hou, JT Zoine, J Saltz, C Zhang, Z Chen, LA Cooper, AI Marcus 19/01/2017 Local alignment vectors reveal cancer cell-induced ECM fiber remodeling dynamics.
Scientific reports
B Lee, J Konen, S Wilkinson, AI Marcus, Y Jiang 03/01/2017 A role for activated Cdc42 in glioblastoma multiforme invasion.
Oncotarget
H Okura, BJ Golbourn, U Shahzad, S Agnihotri, N Sabha, JR Krieger, CA Figueiredo, A Chalil, N Landon-Brace, A Riemenschneider, H Arai, CA Smith, S Xu, S Kaluz, AI Marcus, EG Van Meir, JT Rutka 30/08/2016 Oncotarget
P De, JH Carlson, H Wu, A Marcus, B Leyland-Jones, N Dey 12/07/2016 The Journal of biological chemistry
CJ Coke, KA Scarlett, MA Chetram, KJ Jones, BJ Sandifer, AS Davis, AI Marcus, CV Hinton 06/05/2016 Molecular biology of the cell
J Konen, S Wilkinson, B Lee, H Fu, W Zhou, Y Jiang, AI Marcus 01/04/2016 Oncotarget
F Liu, R Jin, X Liu, H Huang, SC Wilkinson, D Zhong, FR Khuri, H Fu, A Marcus, Y He, W Zhou 19/01/2016 Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
K Mao, F Liu, X Liu, FR Khuri, AI Marcus, M Li, W Zhou 01/05/2015 Oncogene
LS Havel, ER Kline, AM Salgueiro, AI Marcus 09/04/2015 Oncotarget
L Taliaferro-Smith, E Oberlick, T Liu, T McGlothen, T Alcaide, R Tobin, S Donnelly, R Commander, E Kline, GP Nagaraju, L Havel, A Marcus, R Nahta, R O'Regan 10/03/2015 RhoA, a novel tumor suppressor or oncogene as a therapeutic target?
Genes & diseases
M Gilbert-Ross, AI Marcus, W Zhou 01/03/2015 Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy for monitoring biomolecular interactions.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
AL Mattheyses, AI Marcus 01/01/2015 LKB1 Tumor Suppressor: Therapeutic Opportunities Knock when LKB1 Is Inactivated.
Genes & diseases
W Zhou, J Zhang, AI Marcus 01/09/2014 Journal of cell science
M Brentnall, DB Weir, A Rongvaux, AI Marcus, LH Boise 15/05/2014 Acetylated tubulin (AT) as a prognostic marker in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
Head and neck pathology
NF Saba, KR Magliocca, S Kim, S Muller, Z Chen, TK Owonikoko, NJ Sarlis, C Eggers, V Phelan, WJ Grist, AY Chen, SS Ramalingam, ZG Chen, JJ Beitler, DM Shin, FR Khuri, AI Marcus 01/03/2014 PloS one
SA Brodie, C Lombardo, G Li, J Kowalski, K Gandhi, S You, FR Khuri, A Marcus, PM Vertino, JC Brandes 01/01/2014 Energizing the search to target LKB1-mutant tumors.
Cancer discovery
AI Marcus, FR Khuri 01/08/2013 Dysregulation of mTOR activity through LKB1 inactivation.
Chinese journal of cancer
W Zhou, AI Marcus, PM Vertino 01/08/2013 The Journal of biological chemistry
ER Kline, J Shupe, M Gilbert-Ross, W Zhou, AI Marcus 14/06/2013 PloS one
Z Yang, A Garcia, S Xu, DR Powell, PM Vertino, S Singh, AI Marcus 01/01/2013 uPAR-targeted optical imaging contrasts as theranostic agents for tumor margin detection.
Theranostics
L Yang, HK Sajja, Z Cao, W Qian, L Bender, AI Marcus, M Lipowska, WC Wood, YA Wang 01/01/2013 AMPK regulates mitotic spindle orientation through phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain.
Molecular and cellular biology
JT Thaiparambil, CM Eggers, AI Marcus 01/08/2012 Cancer
HJ Khoury, G Garcia-Manero, G Borthakur, T Kadia, MC Foudray, M Arellano, A Langston, B Bethelmie-Bryan, S Rush, K Litwiler, S Karan, H Simmons, AI Marcus, M Ptaszynski, H Kantarjian 15/07/2012 The Journal of biological chemistry
CM Eggers, ER Kline, D Zhong, W Zhou, AI Marcus 25/05/2012 International immunopharmacology
A Olivera, TW Moore, F Hu, AP Brown, A Sun, DC Liotta, JP Snyder, Y Yoon, H Shim, AI Marcus, AH Miller, TW Pace 01/02/2012 International journal of computational biology and drug design
KY Kong, AI Marcus, P Giannakakou, MD Wang 01/01/2012 International journal of cancer
JT Thaiparambil, L Bender, T Ganesh, E Kline, P Patel, Y Liu, M Tighiouart, PM Vertino, RD Harvey, A Garcia, AI Marcus 01/12/2011 A Web Interface for the Quantification of Microtubule Dynamics.
IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine workshops. IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine
KY Kong, AI Marcus, P Giaanakakou, MD Wang 01/11/2011 Localization-specific LKB1 loss in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis.
Head & neck
ER Kline, S Muller, L Pan, M Tighiouart, ZG Chen, AI Marcus 01/10/2011 Cancer
J Kauh, C Chanel-Vos, D Escuin, MP Fanucchi, RD Harvey, N Saba, DM Shin, A Gal, L Pan, M Kutner, SS Ramalingam, L Bender, A Marcus, P Giannakakou, FR Khuri 01/09/2011 Blood
E David, JL Kaufman, CR Flowers, K Schafer-Hales, C Torre, J Chen, AI Marcus, SY Sun, LH Boise, S Lonial 09/12/2010 LKB1 regulated pathways in lung cancer invasion and metastasis.
Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
AI Marcus, W Zhou 01/12/2010 The Journal of clinical investigation
S Kang, S Elf, K Lythgoe, T Hitosugi, J Taunton, W Zhou, L Xiong, D Wang, S Muller, S Fan, SY Sun, AI Marcus, TL Gu, RD Polakiewicz, ZG Chen, FR Khuri, DM Shin, J Chen 01/04/2010 Automatic tip selection for microtubule dynamics quantification.
Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference
MO Malavé, X Zhao, KY Kong, AI Marcus, MD Wang 01/01/2010 Biomolecule labeling and imaging with a new fluorenyl two-photon fluorescent probe.
Bioconjugate chemistry
AR Morales, CO Yanez, KJ Schafer-Hales, AI Marcus, KD Belfield 21/10/2009 Molecular vision
I Schmack, L Berglin, X Nie, J Wen, SJ Kang, AI Marcus, H Yang, MJ Lynn, JA Kapp, HE Grossniklaus 01/01/2009 Molecular cancer therapeutics
D Zhong, X Liu, K Schafer-Hales, AI Marcus, FR Khuri, SY Sun, W Zhou 01/04/2008 Cancer research
S Zhang, K Schafer-Hales, FR Khuri, W Zhou, PM Vertino, AI Marcus 01/02/2008 Journal of the American Chemical Society
G Ruan, A Agrawal, AI Marcus, S Nie 28/11/2007 Awards
Recent awards and honors for Dr. Marcus' include:
- Emory 1% Award
- Innovation of the Year Award (2019), Emory Office of Technology Transfer
- 40 Under 40 Award, Atlanta Business Chronicle
- Faculty Mentor of the Year Award (2016), Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School
- National Lung Cancer Partnership Career Development Award
- Elsa J. Pardee Foundation Award
- American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award
- Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar
- Fund for Innovative Teaching Award
- Chair's Award for All Around Achievement
- Friends of Winship Scholar