Education

Degree	Institution	Major
BA	Western Connecticut State University	Biochemistry
PhD	Boston University	Biochem & Mol. Biology

Post-Graduate Training

Training	Institution	Specialty
Postdoctoral	Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology,(Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, (Harvard Medical School)	Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mentor: Dr. Bruce Spiegleman

Awards

Name of Award/Honor	Awarding Organization
Dean of Arts and Sciences 2011 Alumni Award	Western Connecticut State University
Diversity Awareness Certificate	University of Connecticut Health Center
Improving Managerial skills of the New and Prospective Manager	American Management Association
Beth Israel and Science Teacher Educational Partnership Certificate of Appreciation	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
National Research Service Award, Title: Identification of Genes Regulated in Adipose Differentiation, 1988-1991	NIH-NIDDK
Student Achievement Award	American Chemical Society
Biochemistry Training Grant, 1984-1988	Boston University School of Medicine

Name & Description	Category	Role	Type	Scope	Start Year	End Year
Animal Care and Use Committee	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	UConn Health	University	2021	2024
Reviewer Komen CT Breast Cancer Foundation	Study Section	Reviewer	External	Regional	2016	2020
UCH Molecular Core Facility	Other	Director	UConn Health	University	2016	2020
UCHC AAUP President and Chief Negotiator	Other	Chief Negotiator	UConn Health	University	2012	2020
Graduate Program Student Advisor (2)	Advisory Committee		UConn Health	University	2010	2020
IRB Scientific Review Committee	Research Committee	Member	UConn Health	University	2009	2020
Health Center Research Advisory Committtee	Advisory Committee	Member	UConn Health	University	2009	2020
Breast Cancer Alliance Scientific Review Cmt	Research Committee	Member	External	Regional	2009	2020
Neage Cancer Center - ACS Review	Study Section	Member	UConn Health	University	2008
American Heart Association, Northeast Region 5B	Study Section	Member	External	National	2008
NIH-NCI, Innovative Methods of Analysis Technologies – Study Sections	Study Section	Member	External	National	2005	2018
Clinical and Translational Breast Cancer Program, NEAG Comprehensive Cancer Center	Advisory Committee	Co-Director	UConn Health	University	2005	2018
American Heart Association	Study Section	Member	External	National	2004	2009
NIH-NCI, Tumor Microenvironment, Ad Hoc Study Sections	Study Section	Member	External	National	2003	2005
Dental Council	Education Committee	Member	UConn Health	University	2002	2004
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program	Education Committee	Coordinator	External	University	2002	2009
UCHC Institutional Tumor Bank Development Committee	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	UConn Health	University	2002
NIH-NCI, Site Visit and Program Project Study Sections for Angiogenic Program and Tumor Biology PO1 Grants	Study Section	Member	External	National	2002	2004
Biorepository Advisory Cmt.	Advisory Committee	Member	UConn Health	University	2002
NIH-SSS-N, OGR, Special Ad-Hoc Study Section, Post-Doctoral NRSA Fellowships	Study Section	Member	External	National	2001	2003
Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Univ. of California	Study Section	Member	External	University	2001	2019
UCHC Research Histology Core Facility	Other	Director	UConn Health	University	1999	2019
American Heart Association, Northeast Region 5B	Study Section	Member	External	National	1999	2002
American Association for Cancer Research	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	International	1996	2019
Animal Care and Research Committee, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Research Committee	Member	External	Regional	1995	1998
Research Computing Committee, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Research Committee	Member	External	Regional	1994	1995
American Society for Investigative Pathology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	International	1992	2018

The projects in Dr. Claffey's laboratory are focused on pre-clinical models of breast cancer, particularly targeting angiogenesis and VEGF-dependent mechanisms is a key area of interest for my laboratory. Key areas of expertise include both real-time animal imaging and post-analysis using quantitative histological and biochemical methods. Dynamic vascular events such as induced permeability, local endothelial cell apoptosis and analysis of vascular flow are all important aspects of tumor angiogenesis and multiple cardiovascular diseases. Identification of a potential therapeutic target for pathological excess vascular permeability is a most recent breakthrough. Translational research in breast cancer includes local lymph node immune responses to cancer antigens and recovery of patient-specific anti-cancer antibodies.

Post-Doctoral Candidates with relevant experience will be considered. Please submit a CV or Biosketch with contact information for at least three references to:claffey@nso2.ucuc.edu.

Accepting Lab Rotation Students: Fall 2022 and Spring 2023

Lab Rotation Projects
1. Therapeutic Targeting of Breast Cancer Dormancy, Resistance and Stem Cell Mechanisms. A new project in the lab that targets the cancer stem cell phenotype and dormant metastatic breast cancer. The current approach blocks the effect of detoxification pathways which promote cell survival in metastatic sites during chemotherapy treatment. The “unblocking” this protection pathway with unique therapeutic compounds will significantly improve therapeutic targeting of distal metastatic disease to prevent recurrence. Project involves the testing of various unique compounds using in vitro breast cancer cell models as well as translating effective compounds into animal pre-clinical models of primary and metastatic disease.

2. Breast Cancer Initiation and Progression through the Epigenetic Suppression of Key Metabolic and Signaling Pathways. Our long-standing interest in stress responses that are overridden in cancer have evolved into defining early events that define breast cancer risk and promote progression. One key pathway is the activation of the AMP-dependent kinases (AMPK) under metabolic stress. The catalytic isoform AMPKa2 appears to be crucial to suppression of proliferation signals and has been shown to be epigenetically suppressed in early human breast cancer. We are currently testing models of cancer cells deficient in AMPKa2 by RNA interference in vitro, long-term suppression using in vivo models and genetic deletion in endogenous animal cancers. The suppression of this pathway and its contribution to breast tumorigenesis and metastasis indicates the importance of normal growth control. The main project relates to genetic animal models and in vivo tumor growth and metastasis of cells with modified levels of AMPKa2 expression.

3. Isolation of Patient-Derived Anti-Cancer Antibodies from Tumor Draining Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer and Melanoma. A novel methodology has been developed in the lab to investigate whether patients have a strong immune response to cancer antigens within tumor-draining lymph nodes. We have taken tumor draining lymph nodes from patients and identified B-cell activation within the node, isolated complete cDNA libraries for the antibodies being synthesized there, and used recombinant antibodies to identified novel tumor antigens. A novel methodology is being tested to identify antibodies from live cells and produce antibody clones within a week of sentinel lymph node sampling. These antibodies will be developed for primary biomarker diagnostics using multiplex assays and as a therapeutic option for late stage metastatic cancers.

Journal Articles

Conference Papers

Notes

Reviews

Title or Abstract	Type	Sponsor/Event	Date/Year	Location
Patient Derived Anti-Cancer Antibodies Target Cell Surface Epitopes	Talk		2014	Merrimack Pharm. Inc.
Patient Derived Anti-Cancer Antibodies Target Cell Surface Epitopes	Talk		2014	Immunogen, Inc.
Conditional Reprogrammed Cancer Cells for Therapeutic Testing	Talk	Hanson-Wade	2013	Tumor Biology Models
ASIP - Molecular models of stress signaling in breast cancer	Talk	ASIP - Experimental Biology	2011	Washington DC.
Regulation of Breast Cancer Stem Cell Fate by MicroRNAs	Talk	Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology	2011
Potential and Concerns for Therapeutic AMPK Activation in Breast Cancer	Talk	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Seminar Series	2011	Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
Discovery Platform for Identifying Anti-Cancer Antibodies	Talk	BioDesign Institute	2011	Tempe AZ
Breast Cancer Treatment and Research	Talk	CT Breast Health Initiative	2011	WDRC FM
Translational Breast Cancer Research - Patient-derived antibodies for personalized medicine	Talk	UMASS Worcester	2010	Worcester, MA
Current Breast Cancer Treatment and Research	Talk	International Aero Engines	2010	East Hartford, CT
Neag Cancer Center Retreat	Talk	NEAG CC UCHC	2010	Farmington, CT
MEtformin as a breast cancer therapeutic AMPK activator	Poster	San Antonio Breast Cancer Symp./AACR	2010	San Antonio, TX
Identification of active sentinel lymph nodes in cancer patients	Talk	Clinical Melanoma Conference	2009	New Haven, CT
Breast Cancer and Beyond: A Conversation with the Experts	Panel Discussion	Discovery Series UCONN Health Center. Open Public Informational Series	2009	Farmington, CT
Identification of Patient-Derived Antibodies	Talk	Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Louis University	2009	St. Louis, MI
Animal models of primary and metastatic breast cancer	Talk	Center for Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine	2008	New Haven CT
Identification of Breast Cancer Antigens	Talk	NIH:NCI IMAT Investigator Meeting	2007	San Francisco, CA
Career opportunities in the Biomedical Sciences	Talk	Region 10 Honors High School Program	2007
AMPK regulates Hypoxia Induced VEGF in Glioblastoma	Talk	Keystone Meeting on Hypoxia	2006	Colorado
Hypoxia Regulation of MT1-MMP/MMP-2 Activation in Breast Cancer Invasion and Metastasis	Talk	Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School	2002	Boston, MA
Orthotopic Breast Cancer Models of Tumor Growth, Invasion and Metastasis	Talk	Department of Medicine, Center for Cutaneous Biology, Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical Scho	2001	Cambridge, MA
Role of Infiltrating Stromal Cell VEGF Expression in bFGF-Induced Angiogenesis	Talk	Yale School of Medicine, Department of Pathology	2000	New Haven, CT
Cytokine-dependent in vivo angiogenesis models	Talk	Praecis Pharmaceutical Inc	1997	Cambridge, MA
Hypoxia-mediated gene expression, Transcription and mRNA stability: Mechanisms for tumor cell survival	Talk	Dartmouth Medical College and Veterans Administration Medical Center, Department of Microbiology and	1997	Lebanon, NH
Experimental approaches to block hypoxia-induced VEGF mRNA expression in human tumor cells: models for drug discovery programs	Talk	BioChem Therapeutic	1996	Laval, Quebec
VEGF dependent angiogenesis models and novel approaches to anticancer drug targets	Talk	Pfizer Discovery Research Seminar	1996
Hypoxia-mediated gene expression, Transcription and mRNA stability; Mechanisms for tumor cell survival	Talk	Shriners Burns Institute Seminar Series	1996
VEGF mRNA regulation by hypoxia and correlation with experimental retinopathy models	Talk	Rassmussen Foundation Research Advances, Annual Review	1995