I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of South Florida with a focus in cellular & molecular biology. I truly enjoy learing, teaching and researching biology.

My research background inludes:
• Drug resistance & cancer biology
• Mitochondrial function & Alzheimer’s
• Dioxin receptors & toxicology. 

I developed a cellular and molecular research core facility that provided:
• Confocal Microscopy
• Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting
• Microarray
• Microinjection

I have a strong background in c. elegans biology and murine models as well.


When I’m not teaching I’m a father of 3 young boys who loves baseball. Go Titans!

Publications:

Breedy, S., Ratnayake, W. S., Lajmi, L., Hill, R., & Acevedo-Duncan, M. (2023). 14-3-3 and Smad2/3 are crucial mediators of atypical-PKCs: Implications for neuroblastoma progression. Frontiers in Oncology, 13, 1051516. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2023.1051516

PMID: 36776326 | PMCID: PMC9910080

Ratnayake, W. S., Apostolatos, C. A., Breedy, S., Dennison, C. L., Hill, R., & Acevedo-Duncan, M. (2021). Atypical PKCs activate Vimentin to facilitate prostate cancer cell motility and invasion. Cell Adhesion & Migration, 15(1), 37-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/19336918.2021.1882782

PMID: 33525953 | PMCID: PMC7889213

Chhabra, R., Rockfield, S., Guergues, J., Nadeau, O. W., Hill, R., Stevens, S. M. Jr., & Nanjundan, M. (2021). Global miRNA/proteomic analyses identify miRNAs at 14q32 and 3p21, which contribute to features of chronic iron-exposed fallopian tube epithelial cells. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6270. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85342-y

PMID: 33737539 | PMCID: PMC7973504

Apostolatos, A. H., Ratnayake, W. S., Win-Piazza, H., Apostolatos, C. A., Smalley, T., Kang, L., Salup, R., Hill, R., & Acevedo-Duncan, M. (2018). Inhibition of atypical protein kinase C-ι effectively reduces the malignancy of prostate cancer cells by downregulating the NF-κB signaling cascade. International Journal of Oncology, 53(5), 1836-1846. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2018.4542

PMID: 30226591 | PMCID: PMC6192717

Paullin, T., Powell, C., Menzie, C., Hill, R., Cheng, F., Martyniuk, C. J., & Westerheide, S. D. (2017). Spheroid growth in ovarian cancer alters transcriptome responses for stress pathways and epigenetic responses. PLOS ONE, 12(8), e0182930. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182930

PMID: 28793334 | PMCID: PMC5549971

Falahat, R., Wiranowska, M., Gallant, N. D., Toomey, R., Hill, R., & Alcantar, N. (2015). A cell ELISA for the quantification of MUC1 mucin (CD227) expressed by cancer cells of epithelial and neuroectodermal origin. Cellular Immunology, 298(1-2), 96-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellimm.2015.09.009

PMID: 26435344

Niu, Y., Bai, G., Wu, H., Wang, R. E., Qiao, Q., Padhee, S., Buzzeo, R., Cao, C., & Cai, J. (2012). Cellular translocation of a γ-AApeptide mimetic of Tat peptide. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 9(5), 1529-1534. https://doi.org/10.1021/mp300070w

PMID: 22413929

Bai, G., Padhee, S., Niu, Y., Wang, R. E., Qiao, Q., Buzzeo, R., Cao, C., & Cai, J. (2012). Cellular uptake of an α-AApeptide. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 10(6), 1149-1153. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2ob06679c

PMID: 22193209

Yanamandra, N., Buzzeo, R. W., Gabriel, M., Hazlehurst, L. A., Mari, Y., Beaupre, D. M., & Cuevas, J. (2011). Tipifarnib-induced apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma cells depends on Ca²⁺ influx through plasma membrane Ca²⁺ channels. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 337(3), 636-643. https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.110.172809

PMID: 21378206 | PMCID: PMC3101005

Dragicevic, N., Copes, N., O'Neal-Moffitt, G., Jin, J., Buzzeo, R., Mamcarz, M., Tan, J., Cao, C., Olcese, J. M., Arendash, G. W., & Bradshaw, P. C. (2011). Melatonin treatment restores mitochondrial function in Alzheimer’s mice: a mitochondrial protective role of melatonin membrane receptor signaling. Journal of Pineal Research, 51(1), 75-86. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2011.00864.x

PMID: 21355879

Dragicevic, N., Mamcarz, M., Zhu, Y., Buzzeo, R., Tan, J., Arendash, G. W., & Bradshaw, P. C. (2010). Mitochondrial amyloid-β levels are associated with the extent of mitochondrial dysfunction and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s transgenic mice. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 20(Suppl 2), S535-S550. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2010-100342

PMID: 20463404

Yanamandra, N., Colaco, N. M., Parquet, N. A., Buzzeo, R. W., Boulware, D., Wright, G., Perez, L. E., Dalton, W. S., & Beaupre, D. M. (2006). Tipifarnib and bortezomib are synergistic and overcome cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance in multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia. Clinical Cancer Research, 12(2), 591-599. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-05-1792

PMID: 16428505

Buzzeo, R., Enkemann, S., Nimmanapalli, R., Alsina, M., Lichtenheld, M. G., Dalton, W. S., & Beaupre, D. M. (2005). Characterization of an R115777-resistant human multiple myeloma cell line with cross-resistance to PS-341. Clinical Cancer Research, 11(16), 6057-6064. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-04-2685

PMID: 16115951

Wentworth, J. N., Buzzeo, R., & Pollenz, R. S. (2004). Functional characterization of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (zfAHR2) localization and degradation in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Biochemical Pharmacology, 67(7), 1363-1372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2003.12.002

PMID: 15013852