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Julie H. Ostrander, PhD (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN, United States

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation at the University of Minnesota. For over 20 years my research has focused on understanding how alteration of intracellular signaling pathways contributes to cancer phenotypes. Since beginning my independent research program at the University of Minnesota, my research has focused on the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer initiation and progression. In the context of ER+ breast cancer and invasive lobular carcinoma, we are focused on identifying pathways that can be targeted to prevent breast cancer progression. Much of our work has focused on the on studying an estrogen receptor coregulator, proline, glutamic acid, leucine rich protein 1 (PELP1), in the context of breast cancer progression. Our studies have found that PELP1 signaling 1) promotes cell survival in the presence of tamoxifen, 2) enhances breast epithelial cell migration through upregulation inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and most recently 3) promotes CSC phenotypes in models of ER-positive breast cancer. We have found an increase in PELP1/SRC-3 complexes with ER and PR, which we hypothesize promote cancer stem cell self-renewal, and metastasis. We are testing inhibitor based approaches to target these complexes, as well as using oncolytic viruses to target breast CSCs. We are also focused on understanding how early genetic events lead to the development of invasive lobular carcinoma. My laboratory has developed human mammary epithelial cells with E-cadherin knockout to model this initiating event that ultimately leads to ILC. We care working to identify vulnerabilities induced by E-cadherin loss that can be targeted to prevent the development of ILC.

Disclosure information not submitted.

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