Image
Headshot of Kathleen Becker

Kathleen A. Becker, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Location

Pickus Center for Biomedical Research 209
Biddeford Campus

Dr. Becker is interested in novel mechanisms governing bone formation and how dysregulation of these pathways lead to osteoporosis and increased risk of fracture. Specifically, our laboratory focuses on the role of cell signaling proteins in the osteoblast and the impact of peripheral nerve injury on bone formation. The overall goal of this research is to identify new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of osteoporosis and prevention of morbidity and mortality associated with fracture. 

Credentials

Education

Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
2010
B.S.
Bucknell University
2005

Post-Doctoral Training

Post-Doctoral Training, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, Wisconsin)

Post-Doctoral Training, Bone Biology/Genetics
Maine Medical Center Research Institute (Scarborough, Maine)

Research

Selected publications

Bishop KA, Meyer MB, Pike JW. A Novel Distal Enhancer Mediates Cytokine Induction of Mouse Rankl Gene Expression. Mol Endocrinol. 2009; (23)12:2095-2110. PMCID: PMC2796147

Bishop KA, Wang X, Coy HM, Nerenz RD, Meyer MB, Pike JW. Mouse RANKL Expression is regulated in T cells by cFos through a cluster of Distal Regulatory Enhancers Designated the T-Cell Control Region. J Biol Chem. 2011; 286(23):20880-91. PMCID: PMC3121445

Motyl KJ, Bishop KA, DeMambro VE, Bornstein SA, Le P, Kawai M, Lotinun S, Horowitz MC, Baron R, Bouxsein ML, Rosen CJ. Altered thermogenesis and impaired bone remodeling in Misty mice. J Bone Miner Res. 2013. 28(9):1885-97. PMC3743939

Bishop KA, Wang X, Coy HM, Meyer MB, Gumperz JE, Pike JW. Transcriptional regulation of the human TNFSF11 gene in T cells via a cell type-selective set of distal enhancers. J Cell Biochem. 2015; 116(2):320-30. PMCID: PMC4303342

Onal M and Bishop KA, St John HC, Danielson AL, Riley EM, Piemontese M, Xiong J, Goellner JJ, O’Brien CA, Pike JW. A DNA Segment Spanning the Mouse Tnfsf11 Transcriptional Unit and Its Upstream Regulatory Domain Rescues the Pleiotropic Biologic Phenotype of the RANKL Null Mouse.  J Bone Miner Res. 2015. 30(5):855-68. PMCID: PMC5240630

Bishop KA, Harrington A, Kouranova E, Weinstein EJ, Rosen CJ, Cui X, Liaw L. CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Insertion of loxP Sites in the Mouse Dock7 Gene Provides an Effective Alternative to Use of Targeted Embryonic Stem Cells. G3 (Bethesda). 2016. 6(7):2051-61. PMCID: PMC4938658

Le PT, Bishop KA, Maridas DE, Motyl KJ, Brooks DJ, Nagano K, Baron R, Bouxsein ML, Rosen CJ. Spontaneous mutation of Dock7 results in lower trabecular bone mass and impaired periosteal expansion in aged female Misty mice. Bone. 2017. 105:103-114. PMCID: In progress.

Complete list of Published Work:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/kathleen.bishop.1/bibliography/50185712/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending

Research topics

Animal Model
COM Faculty Research
COM Medical Education
Gene Expression
Transgenic Mice