Curriculum Vitae

Erin E. (Rodgers) Thacker, Ph.D.

Division of Human Gene Therapy
University of Alabama at Birmingham
901 19th St. S.
470 BMR2
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0021
(205) 975-2959 (w)
ethacker@uab.edu

Education

2006 - Present
Postdoctoral Fellow; University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL;
Division of Human Gene Therapy, laboratory of Dr. David Curiel.
2005 - 2006 Postdoctoral Fellow; University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL;
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, laboratory of Dr. Lori McMahon.
2004 - 2005 Postdoctoral Fellow; University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL;
Department of Neurobiology, laboratory of Dr. Anne Theibert
2000 Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, MA.; Physiology Course. Directed by Dr. David Garber and Dr. Randal Reed.
1997 - 2004 Ph.D., University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL; Department of Cell Biology, laboratory of Dr. Anne Theibert
1992 - 1996 B.S. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA; Biochemistry


Committees

2007 - 2008 Alternate Postdoctoral Representative, UAB Commission on the Status of Women
2005 - 2006 Vice-Chair, UAB Postdoctoral Association Executive Board. Chair, Committee for Postdoctoral Involvement; Co-Chair, Committee for Postdoctoral Research Day
2005 - 2006 Member, UAB Council of Postdoctoral Education
2004 - 2005 Member, UAB Postdoctoral Association Executive Board.
2002 Student Representative, CMB Distinguished Seminar Series Committee, UAB.
2000 Student Representative, Graduate Student Admissions Committee for Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, UAB.

Positions Held

Spring 2008 Adjunct Professor, Birmingham Southern College Course: BI 363, Current Topics in Biology (Immunology)-developed and taught course
2000 - Present Facilitator, GENEius and BioTeach Programs, The McWane Center, Birmingham, AL. Directed by Dr. S. Hajduk.
1995 - 1997 Student Research Assistant, Pennington Biomedical Research Center; Baton Rouge, LA, laboratory of Dr. S. R. Smith.
1993 - 1995 Research Assistant, Chrisope Technologies, Lake Charles, LA, under Dr. G. Chrisope.
1992 - 1994 Student Worker, Department of Biochemistry, Louisiana State University, laboratory of Dr. P. DiMario.

Awards

2009 Young Investigator's Award for Translational/Clinical Science: AKC Canine Health Foundation Genes, Dogs and Cancer: 5th International Canine Cancer Conference
2009 Travel Grant Award from the N. Central Alabama Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to attend the annual Meeting of the AACR.
2008 1st Place Award for Postdocs: BCERC 5th Annual Meeting Poster Competition
2008 2nd Place Award: N. Central Alabama Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, "The Power of Science Breast Cancer Research Competition."
2008-Present National Cancer Institute Award; Cancer Gene Therapy Training Grant, Gene Therapy Center, UAB (Grant to Dr. D. Curiel)
2006-2008 NIAMS Award; NIH Training in Investigative Dermatology Training Grant, UAB (Grant to Dr. C. Elmets)
2005 2nd Place Award: oral presentation "The Neuronal Arf6 GAP, Centaurin a-1, also Regulates Actin Cytoskeletal Organization via GAP-Independent Activities." Postdoctoral Research Day, UAB.
2002 - 2003 GK-12 Fellowship Award to work with K-12 science teachers developing and implementing science programs to enrich student education. UAB.
2002 3rd Place Award: oral presentation "Centaurin a, a Downstream Effector of the PI 3-Kinase Cascade, Regulates Neurotransmitter Release from Dense Core Vesicles." Graduate Student Research Day, UAB.

Students Supervised

High School Students: 
Ilya Block (2002, 2003), Santita Humphries (2005), Benjamin Francis (2007)
Drisana Misra (2007-present)

Undergraduates: Jennifer Irizarry (2002), Darryl Pigler (2002), Caroline Reynolds (2003) Alison Underwood (2003, 2004), David Agee (2004), Leah Cuthriel (2004), Omar Ahmed (2008-present)

Graduate Rotation Students: Carlene Chapman (2002), Marcus Weber (2002), Yuquan Wen (2002), Travis Lavis (2003), Braden Cox (2004)


Publications

Articles:

Thacker, EE, Timares, L, Matthews QL. (2009) Strategies to Overcome Host Immunity to Adenovirus Vectors in Vaccine Development.  In press, Expert Reviews in Vaccines.

Thacker, EE, Nakayama, M, Glasgow, JN, Smith, BF, Bird, RC, Korokhov, N, de Gruijl, TD, Muminova, Z, Strong, T, Timares, L, Tani, K and Curiel, DT. (2009) A Genetically Engineered Adenovirus Vector Targeted to CD40 Mediates Selective Transduction of Canine Dendritic Cells and Promotes Antigen-Specific Th-1 Biased Immune Responses In Vivo.  Under review. Vaccine.

Bird, RC, DeInnocentes, P, Lenz, S, Thacker, EE, Curiel, DT, Smith, BF. (2008) Cross-Presentation of a Hybrid-Cell Fusion Vaccine Against Canine Mammary Cancer.  Vet Immuno Immunopath 123:289.

Scheiderer, CL, Smith, CS, McCutchen, E, McCoy, PA, Thacker, EE, Kolasa, K, Dobrunz, L, and McMahon, LL. (2008) Coactivation of M1 muscarinic and a1 adrenergic receptors stimulates ERK1/2 and induces long-term depression at CA3-CA1 synapses in rat hippocampus. J. Neurosci 28:5350.

Moore CD, Thacker ER, Larimore J, Gaston, D, Underwood, A, Kearns B, Patterson, S, Jackson, T, Chapleau, CA, Pozzo-Miller, L, and Theibert, A. (2007) Centaurin alpha-1, a Neuronal Arf GAP Modulates Dendritic Differentiation. J Cell Sci 120: 2683.

Scheiderer, CL, McCutchen, E, Thacker, EE, Kolasa, K, Ward, MK, Parsons, D, Harrell, LE, Dobrunz, LE and McMahon, LL. (2006) Sympathetic sprouting drives cholinergic reinnervation that prevents loss of a muscarinic receptor-dependent long term depression at CA3-CA1 synapses.  J. Neurosci 26, 3745-56. 

Thacker, E, Kearns, B, Chapman, C, Hammond, J, Howell, A, and Theibert, A.  (2004) The Arf6 GAP Centaurin a-1 is a Neuronal Actin Binding Protein Which also Functions via GAP-Independent Activity to Regulate the Actin Cytoskeleton. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 83, 1-14.

Rodgers, EE and Theibert, AB.  (2002) Functions of PI 3-Kinase in Development of the Nervous System.  Int. J. Dev. Neurosci. 20, 187-97.

Harris RB, Zhou J, Redmann SM Jr., Smagin GN, Smith SR, Rodgers E, Zachwiega JJ. 
(1998) A leptin dose-response study in obese (ob/ob) and lean (+/?) mice. Endocrinology. 139, 8-19.

Abstracts

E.E. Thacker, M. Nakayama, A.M. O'Neill, B.F. Smith, R.C. Bird, L.Timares, Z.Muminova, T.V. Strong, A. Pereboev, D. Misra, O.Ahmed, and D.T. Curiel. Development of a Vaccination Strategy to Combat Canine Metastatic Melanoma. AKC Canine Health Foundation Genes, Dogs and Cancer: 5th International Canine Cancer Conference.

E.E. Thacker, M. Nakayama, A. Pereboev, A.M. O'neill, Z. Muminova, D. Misra, O. Ahmed, L. Timares, T.V. Strong, B.F. Smith, R.C. Bird, and D.T. Curiel. A Vaccination Strategy to Treat Primary and Metastatic Breast Cancer and Prevent Recurrence. N. Central Alabama Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, "The Power of Science Breast Cancer Research Competition."

EE Thacker, M Nakayama, O Ahmed, L Timares, TV Strong, AM O'Neill, BF Smith, RC Bird, and DT Curiel. An In Vivo Dendritic Cell Targeting Strategy Combined with Regulatory T Cell Suppression for Melanoma Immunotherapy. NCI Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Conference, 2008.

EE Thacker, M Nakayama, JN Glasgow, BF Smith, RC Bird and DT Curiel. Adenovirus-Mediated Dendritic Cell Transduction For Melanoma Immunotherapy In a Canine Model. Amer. Soc. Gene Ther. Abstr., 2008

EE Thacker, M Nakayama, JN Glasgow, BF Smith and DT Curiel. In Vivo Adenovirus-Mediated Tumor Antigen Delivery to Dendritic Cells for Melanoma Therapy in a Canine Model. UAB Gene Therapy Center Retreat Abstr., 2007.

ME McCutchen, EE Thacker, LL McMahon.  Intracellular Signaling Underlying Muscarinic LTD at Hippocampal CA3-CA1 Synapses.  Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 2005.

CD Chapman, ER Thacker, J Fiedler-Larimore, A Theibert.  The Arf6 GAP Centaurin alpha-1 Regulates Dendritic Development.  Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 2005.

J Fiedler-Larimore, CD Chapman, ER Thacker, AB Theibert.  Is there a role for the Arf GAP centaurin alpha-1 in vesicular trafficking in neurosecretory cells?  Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 2005. 

EE Thacker, CD Chapman, JL Fiedler, AB Theibert. The Neuronal Arf6 GAP, Centaurin a-1, also Regulates Actin Cytoskeletal Organization via GAP-Independent Activities.  Amer. Soc. Cell Biol. Abstr., 2004.

CD Chapman, ER Thacker, JI Hammond, J Fiedler, WB Theibert.  The neuronal PI 3-kinase target, centaurin alpha-1, is an ARF6 GAP and actin binding protein that affects dendritic branching.  Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 2004.

EE Rodgers, JM Hammond, JG Donaldson, PA Randazzo, N Vitale, AB Theibert.  Centaurin a, an Arf6 Interacting Protein, Affects Secretion in PC12 Cells.  Amer. Soc. Cell Biol. Abstr., 2002.

EE Rodgers, BG Kearns, JG Donaldson, AB Theibert.  In vivo Interactions of Centaurin a with PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, Arf6 and Actin.  Amer. Soc. Cell Biol. Abstr., 2001.

E Rodgers, B Kearns, J Donaldson, A Theibert.  The Role of Centaurins and Arfs in Vesicle Trafficking.  Amer. Soc. Cell Biol. Abstr. 2000.

EE Rodgers, BG Kearns, BD Prestwich, AB Theibert.  Centaurin a Interacts with Arf 6 
and Translocates to the Membrane Upon PI 3-kinase Stimulation.  Amer. Soc. Cell Biol. Abstr., 1999.

BG Kearns, EE Rodgers, AB Theibert.  Centaurin a, a PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 Binding Protein, 
Stimulates Actin Polymerization and Localizes to Dense Core Vesicles.  Amer. Soc. Cell Biol. Abstr., 1999.

B Kearns, A Greenwood, E Rodgers, G Prestwich, A Theibert.  Localization and Function of the PIP3 Binding Domain in Centaurin Alpha.  Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 1998.

Laboratory Protocols

T Steele, E Rodgers, M Miller. It's a Wild Ride! Center for Community Outreach and Development, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2003.

Oral Presentations
2008	Susan G. Komen for the Cure North Central Alabama Breast Cancer Research Roundtable Mtg; A Strategy to Treat and Prevent Metastatic Breast Cancer and Prevent Recurrence

2007	In Vivo Barriers to Gene Delivery Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; In Vivo Adenovirus-Mediated Dendritic Cell Transduction for Melanoma Therapy.

2006	Center for Community Outreach and Development lecture for high school students; Neuronal Signaling and Second Messengers.

2005	Postdoctoral Research Day, UAB; The Neuronal Arf6 GAP, Centaurin a-1, also Regulates Actin Cytoskeletal Organization via GAP-Independent Activities.

2004	Department of Cell Biology Dissertation Defense, UAB; The Role of Centaurin a-1 in Cytoskeletal Organization.

2002	Department of Neurobiology Retreat, UAB; Centaurin a in Neuronal Development.

2002	Graduate Student Research Day, UAB; Centaurin a, a Downstream Effector of the PI 3-Kinase Cascade, Regulates Neurotransmitter Release from Dense Core Vesicles.  

2001	Department of Neurobiology Retreat, UAB; The Role of Centaurin a?and Arf in PI 3-kinase Regulated Vesicular Trafficking.

2001	Department of Cell Biology Retreat, UAB; Functional Characterization of Centaurin a, a Neuronal PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 Binding Protein.

2001	Department of Cell Biology Student Seminar, UAB; The Role of Centaurin a and Arf6 in PI 3-Kinase Regulated Vesicular Trafficking.

2000	Department of Neurobiology Retreat, UAB; The Centaurin Proteins: Mediators of PI 3-kinase Signaling in Neurons.