Bodour Salhia, PhD

Dr. Salhia is a translational genomics scientist with extensive knowledge and expertise in mechanisms that underlie tumorigenesis and tumor biology. She merges cutting edge genomics/epigenomics analyses with cell biological and functional studies towards the investigation of clinically relevant problems in human cancer. During her graduate training, she focused on understanding the molecular and cellular determinants of glioma invasion. Her post-doctoral work focused on the genomics and epigenomics of breast cancer metastasis and multiple myeloma. She also characterized the function of AKT1(E17K) in breast cancer and performed immunophenotypic analysis of breast cancer in North Africa. She has led and continues to lead numerous DNA methylation studies using a plethora of both array and sequencing based technologies to measure whole genome and targeted CpG methylation changes in a variety of cancer types. Dr. Salhia utilizes these data to develop DNA methylation liquid biopsies. Her lab is in the process of validating a DNA methylation liquid biopsy for breast cancer recurrence which would indicate patients with evidence of micrometastatic residual disease that are therefore likely to experience a recurrence. Dr. Salhia’s lab also has research efforts in experimental therapeutics of brain metastasis by utilizing patient-derived xenografts and cell lines to identify novel treatment methods for this dismal disease.

Dr. Salhia finds it extremely important to connect with the people her research is attempting to serve. She has volunteered with the Arizona Myeloma Network, The Wellness Community, and Susan G. Komen affiliate in Phoenix. She has travelled to Egypt as a US Delegate with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure to raise awareness about breast cancer and she has worked with underserved minorities on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. She served as a Community Outreach Ambassador and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arizona between 2012-2016. She has received numerous community awards including a service award by the Arizona Myeloma Network. She was also named one of 20 Faces of Komen in 2012 and 2013 and in June 2014 was the recipient of the Phoenix Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40 award.

• Integrated genomic analysis of survival outliers in glioblastoma Neuro Oncol. 2017 06 01; 19(6):833-844. . View in PubMed
• Pathway Implications of Aberrant Global Methylation in Adrenocortical Cancer PLoS One. 2016; 11(3):e0150629. . View in PubMed
• Androgen receptor status is highly conserved during tumor progression of breast cancer BMC Cancer. 2015 Nov 09; 15:872. . View in PubMed
• High tumor budding stratifies breast cancer with metastatic properties Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015 Apr; 150(2):363-71. . View in PubMed
• Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of cell-free DNA identifies signature associated with metastatic breast cancer Clin Epigenetics. 2015; 7:100. . View in PubMed
• Breast cancer in adolescent and young adult women Clin Breast Cancer. 2014 Dec; 14(6):390-5. . View in PubMed
• Molecular biology of brain metastasis Int J Mol Sci. 2014 May 28; 15(6):9519-30. . View in PubMed
• Small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type, displays frequent inactivating germline and somatic mutations in SMARCA4 Nat Genet. 2014 May; 46(5):427-9. . View in PubMed
• Current approaches to the treatment of metastatic brain tumours Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2014 Apr; 11(4):203-22. . View in PubMed
• Integrated genomic and epigenomic analysis of breast cancer brain metastasis PLoS One. 2014; 9(1):e85448. . View in PubMed
• In vitro-differentiated neural cell cultures progress towards donor-identical brain tissue Hum Mol Genet. 2013 Sep 01; 22(17):3534-46. . View in PubMed
• Genome and transcriptome sequencing in prospective metastatic triple-negative breast cancer uncovers therapeutic vulnerabilities Mol Cancer Ther. 2013 Jan; 12(1):104-16. . View in PubMed
• Differential effects of AKT1(pE17K) expression on human mammary luminal epithelial and myoepithelial cells. Hum Mutat. 2012 Aug; 33(8):1216-27. . View in PubMed
• DNA methylation in multiple myeloma is weakly associated with gene transcription PLoS One. 2012; 7(12):e52626. . View in PubMed
• Molecular subtype analysis determines the association of advanced breast cancer in Egypt with favorable biology BMC Womens Health. 2011 Sep 30; 11:44. . View in PubMed
• DNA methylation analysis determines the high frequency of genic hypomethylation and low frequency of hypermethylation events in plasma cell tumors Cancer Res. 2010 Sep 01; 70(17):6934-44. . View in PubMed
• The Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor SWAP-70 Modulates the Migration and Invasiveness of Human Malignant Glioma Cells Transl Oncol. 2009 Dec; 2(4):300-9. . View in PubMed
• The guanine nucleotide exchange factors trio, Ect2, and Vav3 mediate the invasive behavior of glioblastoma Am J Pathol. 2008 Dec; 173(6):1828-38. . View in PubMed
• The role of fascin in the migration and invasiveness of malignant glioma cells Neoplasia. 2008 Feb; 10(2):149-59. . View in PubMed
• Role of myosin II activity and the regulation of myosin light chain phosphorylation in astrocytomas Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 2008 Jan; 65(1):12-24. . View in PubMed
• Current concepts in the molecular genetics of pediatric brain tumors: implications for emerging therapies Childs Nerv Syst. 2006 Nov; 22(11):1379-94. . View in PubMed
• Molecular pathways triggering glioma cell invasion Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2006 Jul; 6(4):613-26. . View in PubMed
• Inhibition of Rho-kinase affects astrocytoma morphology, motility, and invasion through activation of Rac1 Cancer Res. 2005 Oct 01; 65(19):8792-800. . View in PubMed
• Analysis of mammalian septin expression in human malignant brain tumors Neoplasia. 2004 Mar-Apr; 6(2):168-78. . View in PubMed
• Imaging of murine brain tumors using a 15 Tesla clinical MRI system. Can J Neurol Sci. 2003 Nov; 30(4):326-32. . View in PubMed
• The treatment of malignant meningioma with verotoxin Neoplasia. 2002 Jul-Aug; 4(4):304-11. . View in PubMed
• Evaluation of proliferative index and cell cycle protein expression in choroid plexus tumors in children Acta Neuropathol. 2002 Jan; 103(1):1-10. . View in PubMed
• Hyaluronate receptors mediating glioma cell migration and proliferation J Neurooncol. 2001 Jun; 53(2):115-27. . View in PubMed
• Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor by reactive astrocytes and associated neoangiogenesis Brain Res. 2000 Nov 10; 883(1):87-97. . View in PubMed
• Adenoviral vector-mediated gene transfer: timing of wild-type p53 gene expression in vivo and effect of tumor transduction on survival in a rat glioma brachytherapy model J Neurooncol. 2000 Aug; 49(1):27-39. . View in PubMed
• Inhibition of angiogenesis by blocking activation of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 leads to decreased growth of neurogenic sarcomas Cancer Res. 1999 Nov 01; 59(21):5536-41. . View in PubMed
• Elective neurosurgical office consultations: how well are patients informed? Can J Public Health. 1998 Jul-Aug; 89(4):280-3.. View in PubMed

• Lenz, Heinz-Josef