Cancer Targeting and Therapeutics Research Program Co-Leaders

Timothy P Spicer

Timothy P Spicer Ph.D.

Senior Scientific Director, Department Of Molecular Medicine
Department: SR-MM-SPICER LAB
Mailing Address:
130 Scripps Way #1A1
The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute
Jupiter FL 33458
Accomplishments:
  • Associate Editor SLAS Discovery
    2020-Current · SLAS
  • SLAS Board of Directors
    2020-2022 · Society of Lab Automation and Screening (SLAS)
  • Member
    2019-2020 · SLAS Knowledge Council and Dissemination Committee
  • Co-Chair
    2019-2020 · SLAS Americas Scientific Program Committee
  • Member, Graduate Education Fellowship Grant Review Panel
    2018 · SLAS Graduate Education Fellowship Grant Review Panel-2018,2019 AACR, 2018-2020
  • Conference Co-Chair
    2018 · SLAS
  • SBIR Study Section Reviewer
    2017 · National Institutes of Health
  • Inducted
    2017 · SLAS Fellow
  • Inducted
    2017 · SLAS Fellows
  • Track Chair, Automation and HTS Technologies
    2016 · SLAS
  • Associate Track Chair, Automation and HTS Technologies
    2015 · SLAS
  • Applied Biotechnology Collaboration Award
    2005 · Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Triumph Award
    2003 · Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Star Award, Fourth quarter
    2002 · Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Star Award, First quarter
    2002 · Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Applied Biotechnology Collaboration Award
    2002 · Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • President’s Award
    2000 · Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Excellence Award
    1997-2005 · Bristol-Myers Squibb
Research Summary:

The focus of our research involves enabling technologies for High Throughput Screening (HTS) of any target of unmet therapeutic need. Our facility supports scientist and faculty locally as well as those in the US and throughout the world. We do this by implementing their biological applications into high density plates for HTS. The breadth of biology we deal with is virtually unlimited due to the diversity of skill sets of the scientist and engineers within our group as well as the expanded capability of the readers associated to our system. We operate a fully automated 1536 well compatible platform and perform HTS on large compound libraries such as the Scripps Drug Discovery Library (645K) or small focused collections (FDA approved drugs). We have expertise in microfluidics, low nanoliter volume liquid handling, ultra-sensitive plate reader technologies and informatics set-up to handle large volume data sets. Key components are high-content readers, imaging detectors such as the ViewLux and FLIPR Tetra, as well as pintool and acoustic transfer devices. Through collaborative efforts we have successfully translated multiple small molecules into the clinics. We are open to any pharmacology desired (agonist, PAMs, NAMs, inverse agonist, etc.) vs. kinases, GPCR, NHRs, proteases, phenotypic assays, etc. which can be applied to any therapeutic area; i.e. CNS, infectious diseases, cardiovascular, oncology, metabolic diseases. In addition, we are currently funded (R33CA206949) to develop 3D spheroid based uHTS assays for the purpose of testing molecules in a more phenotypically relevant format to cancer biology.

Publications:
Education:
  • 2019
    Ph.D. in Medicine
    University of Queensland
  • 1996
    Master's of Microbiology
    State University of New York Health Science Center
  • 1990
    Bachelor's of Science in Biology
    State University of New York at Albany
Jatinder Lamba

Jatinder Lamba Ph.D., M.Sc.

Associate Dean For Research And Graduate Education; Professor And The Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair
Department: Pharmacotherapy & Translational Research
Mailing Address:
PO BOX 103633
GAINESVILLE FL 32610
Physical Address:
2033 MOWRY RD
GAINESVILLE FL 32610

Dr. Jatinder Lamba is currently the associate dean for research and graduate education in the UF College of Pharmacy and a professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. In 2022, she was appointed the Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair.

Lamba did her post-doctoral training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to joining University of Florida, she was an Associate Professor at University of Minnesota, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and the Director of the Pathway driven Pharmacogenomics; University of Minnesota Alliance (PUMA) Institute of Personalized Medicine.

Dr Lamba’s research is focused on identification, characterization and clinical validation of genomic/epigenomic markers predictive of therapeutic outcome in cancer patients. This research spans from preclinical basic research comprising the discovery phase utilizing cell line model systems to translational/clinical phase in patient populations from multi-institute clinical trials. The long-term goal of her research is to move pharmacogenetic testing into the clinical setting to improve safety and efficacy of drug therapy. Dr. Lamba’s research on pharmacogenomics of anti-leukemic agents has been funded by NIH/NCI since 2008. Specifically, her current NCI funded R01 focuses on pharmacogenomics/ epigenomics of cytarabine (ara-C), a nucleoside analog that is the backbone of anti-leukemia chemotherapy in pediatric AML patients. Her group is working on developing algorithms to incorporate pharmacogenomics/epigenomic markers with other prognostic factors to advance precision medicine in oncology. Identification of such patients upfront will provide opportunity to tailor the initial chemotherapy to achieve maximum benefit.

Dr. Lamba’s lab is the first one to identify genetic polymorphisms in CD33 gene that are predictive of response to CD33 targeted agents in AML. These results hold promise in utilizing preemptive genotype to select patients most likely to benefit from CD33-directed therapy such as gemtuzumab ozogamicin in treating AML. Previous work on CD33 genomics was funded by NCI and more in-depth characterization of CD33 as AML therapeutic target is funded by a recent award from leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Given a critical gap of our understanding in metabolic dysregulation in AML, Dr. Lamba’s group is focused understanding the metabolomics differences and biomarkers of prognostic significance in pediatric AML. Dr. Lamba’s recent work is focused towards utilizing transcriptomics to build and refine leukemic stem cell signatures and AML drug response signatures of prognostic and predictive value in AML.

Dr. Lamba has served as chair of Pharmacogenomics SIG at AACP (2013) and is currently vice-chair of Pharmacogenomics focus group with AAPS. She has served as a grant reviewer for numerous NIH study sections and has reviewed grants for international agencies as Italian Ministry of Health. She has published more than 90 research articles in peer-reviewed journals and is on the editorial boards of Leukemia and Lymphoma, Pharmacogenomics and Frontiers in Pharmacogenomics and genomics, JCMM. Dr. Lamba is currently Professor in College of Pharmacy and is also Graduate Program coordinator for PTR department. Dr. Lamba is very committed towards training of future generation of scientist. She has trained 6 Ph. D students, 5 Post-doctoral fellows several Pharm D students and 3 hematology-oncology fellows and several under-graduate students including minority and underrepresented students.

Publications:
Grants:
  • Sep 2023 ACTIVE
    2/3 Florida-California Cancer Research, Education & Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Other
  • Sep 2023 ACTIVE
    CRISPR Synthetic Lethality Screen Identifies Genomic Resistant/Sensitive Modulators of Standard Chemotherapy in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia (pAML)
    AMER FOU FOR PHARM EDU · Other
  • Apr 2023 ACTIVE
    Targeting ER Stress in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia
    H LEE MOFFITT CANCER CTR & RES INST · Principal Investigator
  • Dec 2022 ACTIVE
    Integrated Systems Biology of Pediatric AML
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Sep 2022 ACTIVE
    The role of ALKBH5-mediated RNA demethylation in the maintenance of genomic stability in HSPCs
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIDDK · Co-Investigator
  • May 2022 ACTIVE
    Patterns of resistance to initial therapeutic treatment in Ewings Sarcoma
    Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Asso Fou · Co-Investigator
  • Apr 2022 ACTIVE
    Ultrasound elastogram assessment of liver fibrosis in children and adolescents/young adults (AYA) receiving chemotherapy or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, and identification of risk factors for liver injury
    FL DEPT OF HLTH LIVE LIKE BELLA · Other
  • Jul 2021 ACTIVE
    Genomics of AML Prognosis
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2021 – Dec 2023
    Transcriptomic and pharmacogenetic scores to guide therapy in pediatric AML
    AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY · Principal Investigator
  • Sep 2020 – Aug 2021
    Pharmacogenomic Drivers of Efficacy in Anti-CD33 Immunotherapeutic Treatment Strategies
    AMER FOU FOR PHARM EDU · Other
  • Sep 2020 – Aug 2021
    AFPE Fellowship: Rho Chi -AFPE Graduate Fellowship
    AMER FOU FOR PHARM EDU · Other
  • Aug 2020 – Jul 2021
    Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenomics of Pediatric Chemotherapeutics
    UNIV OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO · Principal Investigator
  • Jan 2020 – Dec 2023
    Asparaginase Premedication, Hypersensitivity, and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Pediatric Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or Lymphoma
    SERVIER PHARMACEUTICALS · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2019 – Jun 2020
    Personalizing CD33-directed immunotherapy for pediatric AML
    CHILDRENS ONCOLOGY GROUP · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2019 – Jun 2022
    Personalizing CD33-directed Immunotherapy for Pediatric AML
    LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOC · Principal Investigator
  • Apr 2019 – Mar 2022
    Pharmacogenomics and Toxicities of Thiotepa, Busulfan and Fludarabine in Pediatric HSCT Recipients
    FL DEPT OF HLTH LIVE LIKE BELLA · Principal Investigator
  • Jun 2018 – May 2021
    OR-DRPD-ROD2018: Development of Leukemia-Oncotype Prototype CARS (Cytarabine AML Response Score) for Prediction of Relapse Risk in AML
    UF RESEARCH · Principal Investigator
  • Feb 2018 – Jan 2019
    Impact of CD33 Genetics on Clinical Outcome in Pediatric AML Patients Treated on AAML0531 Clinical Trial
    CHILDRENS ONCOLOGY GROUP · Principal Investigator
  • Dec 2016 – Jan 2020
    Multiple Sponsors
    MULTIPLE SPONSORS · Principal Investigator
  • Jan 2015 – Jan 2016
    DNA ISOLATION/GENOTYPING COLLABORATION
    UNIV OF MINNESOTA · Principal Investigator
  • Sep 2014 – Apr 2020
    Pharmacogenomics of Ara-C in AML
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2014 – Dec 2015
    Impact of genetic variation on response to GO therapy in COG-AML clinical trials
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
Patents:
  • Published March 2023
    CD33 Antibodies
    #US-2023-0365676-A1
  • Published March 2022
    Methods for Predicting AML Outcome
    #20230073558A1
Education:
  • 2000
    Ph.D.
    Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
  • 1994
    M.Sc.
    Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
  • 1992
    B.Sc.
    Panjab University
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