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Photo of Nonn, Larisa

Larisa Nonn, PhD

Professor

Department of Pathology

Contact

Office Phone:

312-996-0194

Email:

lnonn@uic.edu

About

  • Co-Director Graduate Education in Medical Sciences PhD Program | GEMS
  • Associate Director, Cancer Research Training Education Coordination | UI Cancer Center
  • Co-Director UIC K12 IRACDA Institutional Postdoctoral Training Program | IRACDA

I received my BS degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. During that time I researched tamoxifen metabolism in the lab of Dr. Henry Pitot and chaperone proteins in Dr. Betty Craig’s lab.  My PhD research focused on mitochondrial redox control and was done under the mentorship of Dr. Garth Powis at the University of Arizona. I went on to research the anti-inflammatory activity of vitamin D in primary human prostate cells during my postdoctoral training at Stanford University under the guidance of Dr. Donna Peehl.

All of this training landed me in the Department of Pathology at the University of Illinois at Chicago-UIC. Here at UIC I have maintained a research focus on prostate cancer and vitamin D. The research in my lab has grown to include microRNAs, zinc homeostasis in the prostate as well as analysis of clinical trial patient specimens to validate in vitro findings.

The focus of my lab is prostate cancer research and there are several projects aimed at examining several questions:

  • How does microRNA regulation and the anti-inflammatory actions of Vitamin D contribute to prevention of prostate carcinogenesis?
  • Do these actions of Vitamin D contribute to the prostate cancer disparities?
  • Does the oncogenic activity of the miR-183 family cluster require zinc regulation in prostate epithelial cells?
  • Are there microRNAs in the serum of prostate cancer patients that provide prognostic information about the tumor?

Clinical and Research Interests:

  • Prostate cancer
  • Prognostic markers in patient blood
  • In vitro models of prostate cell biology

Research Programs:

Awards and Honors:

  • 2013: Departmental Faculty of the Year, UIC College of Medicine
  • 2013: American Urological Association, Showcase for Young Investigators
  • 2012: Society for Basic Urologic Research Young Investigator Award. These awards are given to recognize researchers under the age of 40 who have made significant contribution to urologic research
  • 2012: American Cancer Society Research Scholar
  • 2011: Travel Award, Department of Defense, Innovative Minds in Prostate Cancer Today (IMPaCT) meeting
  • 2007: Publication selected for the 2006 issue of the Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplements Research by the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health
  • 2007: Travel Award, Department of Defense, Innovative Minds in Prostate Cancer Today (IMPaCT) meeting
  • 2006: Packard Award for the Best Urology Postdoctoral Publication, Stanford College of Medicine
  • 2005-06: Chief Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Urology, Stanford College of Medicine
  • 2004: Scholar in Training Award, American Association for Cancer Research
  • 2004: Prostate Cancer Postdoctoral Researcher Grant, Department of Defense
  • 2003: Endocrinology Postdoctoral NIH Training Grant, Stanford University
  • 2003: Postdoctoral Research Scholar Award, American Foundation for Urologic Disease

Education

BS (Molecular Biology), University of Wisconsin at Madison
PhD (Pharmacology/Cancer Biology), University of Arizona
UIC K12 IRACDA

PostGraduate Training:
Fellowship
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University Department of Urology