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Scientist Profile

Lisa Belmont

Scientist, Molecular Diagnostics & Cancer Cell Biology
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"I am inspired by the strength and courage exhibited every day by patients living with cancer. I hope that the fruits of my labor will be realized in the form of new drugs that offer improved outcomes and quality of life cancer patients."

I joined Genentech in 2006, after working for smaller biotechnology companies for six years. I was attracted to Genentech because of the high quality of science and the company's record of taking innovative approaches to drug discovery and development. Genentech employs world-class researchers who carry out cutting-edge research to identify novel approaches to drug development;

this begins with discovery and continues into the clinical trials. At Genentech, I have the opportunity to make discoveries in the lab and work with outstanding clinical teams that rely on a deep understanding of biology to guide decision-making during clinical development.

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My Focus

My lab is in the Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Cancer Cell Biology. Our goal is to identify biomarkers for selection of patients most likely to respond to new drugs. I am currently working on identification of predictive biomarkers for novel drugs that target the apoptotic, or cell death, pathway.

Cancer cells often have changes in the pathways that regulate survival, making them more difficult to kill, but also rendering them sensitive to drugs that target these pathways. My lab is trying to discover biomarkers that identify patients more likely to respond to these drugs as single agents or in combination with other cancer drugs. To guide decisions on rational drug combinations, we have been exploring mechanisms of synergy with approved and experimental cancer drugs. By understanding mechanism, we can identify biomarkers for response.

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Publications & Recognition
  • A chemo-sensitization screen identifies TP53RK, a kinase that restrains apoptosis after mitotic stress
  • Cancer Research 2010; 70(15): 6325-35.
  • Peterson D, Lee J, Lei X, Forrest W, Jackson P, Belmont L
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Insight into the molecular mechanism of the multi-tasking kinesin-8 motor
  • EMBO J 2010 Sep 3
  • Peters C, Brejc K, Belmont L, Bodey A, Lee Y, Yu M, Guo J, Sakowicz R, Hartman J, Moores C
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Antitumor activity of an allosteric inhibitor of centromere-associated protein-E
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 2010; 107(13):5839-4
  • Wood KW, Lad L, Luo L, Qian X, Knight SD, Nevins N, Brejc K, Sutton D, Gilmartin AG, Chua PR, Desai R, Schauer SP, McNulty DE, Annan RS, Belmont LD, Garcia C, Lee Y, Diamond MA, Faucette LF, Giardiniere M, Zhang S, Sun CM, Vidal JD, Lichtsteiner S, Cornwell WD, Greshock JD, Wooster RF, Finer JT, Copeland RA, Huang PS, Morgans DJ Jr, Dhanak D, Bergnes G, Sakowicz R, Jackson JR
  • View Abstract on PubMed
 
View All Publications & Recognition
 
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • 1996-2000
  • University of California, San Francisco
  • Ph.D
  • 1988-1995
  • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • B.A
  • 1985-1988
Publications & Recognition
  • The STARD9/Kif16a Kinesin Associates with Mitotic Microtubules and Regulates Spindle Pole Assembly
  • Cell 2011; 147(6): 1309-1323
  • Torres, J.Z., M. Summers1, D. Peterson, M. Brauer, J. Lee, S. Senese, A. Gholkar, Y. Lo, X. Lei, K. Jung, D. Anderson, D. Davis, L. Belmont, P. Jackson
  • Navitoclax Enhances the Activity of Paclitaxel in NSCLC Models
  • Clinical Cancer Research 2011; 17(6).
  • Tan, N., M. Malek, J. Zha, R. Kassees, L. Berry, D. Sampath, W. Fairbrother and L. Belmont
  • Sensitivity to Anti-Tubulin Chemotherapeutics is regulated by Mcl-1 and FBW7
  • Nature 2011; 471(7336):110-4
  • Wertz, I., S Kusam, C Lam, T Okamoto, W Sandoval, D Anderson, E Helgason, J Earnst, M Eby, J Liu, L Belmont, J Kaminker, K O'Rourke, K Pujara, P Kholi, A Johnson, M Chiu, J Lill, P Jackson, W Fairbrother, S Seshagiri, M Ludlam, K Leong, E Dueber, H Maecker, D Huang, and V Dixit
  • A chemo-sensitization screen identifies TP53RK, a kinase that restrains apoptosis after mitotic stress
  • Cancer Research 2010; 70(15): 6325-35.
  • Peterson D, Lee J, Lei X, Forrest W, Jackson P, Belmont L
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Insight into the molecular mechanism of the multi-tasking kinesin-8 motor
  • EMBO J 2010 Sep 3
  • Peters C, Brejc K, Belmont L, Bodey A, Lee Y, Yu M, Guo J, Sakowicz R, Hartman J, Moores C
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Antitumor activity of an allosteric inhibitor of centromere-associated protein-E
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 2010; 107(13):5839-4
  • Wood KW, Lad L, Luo L, Qian X, Knight SD, Nevins N, Brejc K, Sutton D, Gilmartin AG, Chua PR, Desai R, Schauer SP, McNulty DE, Annan RS, Belmont LD, Garcia C, Lee Y, Diamond MA, Faucette LF, Giardiniere M, Zhang S, Sun CM, Vidal JD, Lichtsteiner S, Cornwell WD, Greshock JD, Wooster RF, Finer JT, Copeland RA, Huang PS, Morgans DJ Jr, Dhanak D, Bergnes G, Sakowicz R, Jackson JR
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Mitotic Kinesins: Prospects for Antimitotic Drug Discovery
  • Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2005; 5(2):127-45
  • Bergnes G, Brejc K, Belmont L
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Effects of Arp2 and Arp3 nucleotide-binding pocket mutations on Arp2/3 complex function
  • Journal of Cell Biology 2005 Jan 17; 168(2):315-28
  • Martin AC, Xu XP, Rouiller I, Kaksonen M, Sun Y, Belmont L, Volkmann N, Hanein D, Welch M, Drubin DG
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • In Vivo Importance of Actin Nucleotide Exchange Catalyzed by Profilin
  • Journal of Cell Biology 2000; 150(4):895-903
  • Wolven AK, Belmont LD, Mahoney NM, Almo SC, Drubin DG
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • A change in actin conformation associated with filament instability after Pi release
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1999; 96:29-34
  • Belmont, LD, Orlova A, Drubin DG, Egelman EH
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • New actin mutants allow further characterization of the nucleotide binding cleft and drug binding sites
  • Journal of Cell Science 1999; 112(9):1325-1336
  • Belmont LD, Patterson GML, Drubin DG
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • The yeast V159N actin reveals roles for actin dynamics in vivo
  • Journal of Cell Biology 1998; 142(5):1289-1299
  • Belmont LD, Drubin DG
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Identification of a protein that binds to tubulin dimers and increases the frequency of catastrophes in microtubules
  • Cell 1996; 84:623-631
  • Belmont LD, Mitchison TJ
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Real-time visualization of cell cycle-dependent changes in microtubule dynamics in cytoplasmic extracts
  • Cell 1990; 62(3):579-89
  • Belmont LD, Hyman AA, Sawin KE, Mitchison TJ
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Actin structure function relationships revealed by yeast molecular genetics. Edited by Dos Remedios C, Thomas D
  • Molecular Interactions of Actin 2001; Springer Press, Heidelberg.
  • Belmont LD, Drubin DG
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Catastrophic revelations about Op18/Stathmin
  • Trends in Biochemical Sciences 1996; 21(6):197-198
  • Belmont LD, Deacon HW, Mitchison TJ
  • View Abstract on PubMed
  • Catastrophic revelations about Op18/Stathmin
  • Trends in Biochemical Sciences 1996; 21(6):197-198
  • Belmont LD, Deacon HW, Mitchison TJ
  • View Abstract on PubMed
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Awards & Honors
  • Co-Principal Investigator, Small Business Innovation Research Grant - 2000
  • National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship - 1996-1999
  • National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship - 1989-1992
  • University of Colorado, Boulder, magna cum laude - 1988

Ellen Filvaroff, Senior Scientist and Alex Avardo, Receipent of Free Medicine From the Genentech® Access to Care Foundation, on the cover of Genentech's 2006 Annual Report.