| Division Telephone: (312) 503-1600
Fax: (312) 503-0095 Diana Carandang
Project Coordinator I
Diana Carandang received her Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. In June 2007, she joined the Division of Reproductive Biology Research as Project Coordinator. She coordinates CME seminars and other activities within the division. Laboratory Telephone: (312) 503-4759
Fax: (312) 503-0095 Dong Chen, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Chen did his graduate research in glucose transport at the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey Pessin at the University of Iowa and received a PhD in molecular biology in 1999. Afterward, he completed his postdoctoral research in insulin action at the laboratory of Dr. Ronald Kahn of the Joslin Diabetes Center of the Harvard Medical School in Boston. In November 2004 he joined Dr. Serdar Bulun’s laboratory as a research assistant professor. Currently, he is studying molecular pathways regulating aromatase expression. You-Hong Cheng, MD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Cheng joined this laboratory in December 2004. His current research projects include transcriptional regulation of 17beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 gene in human endometrium and physiological function of retinoids in human endometrium. Joy Innes, BS
Research Technologist 2
Innes joined the Bulun Lab in June 2004 after graduating from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in animal sciences. She is interested in studying genetics and reproductive sciences through research. Hiroshi Ishikawa, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ishikawa joined Dr. Bulun's laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow in April 2006. He earned his PhD degree in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan, in 2006. He is now focusing on gene expression and regulation in uterine fibroids. His current work involves the detection of aromatase regulatory mechanism in uterine fibroids. Zhihong Lin, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Lin joined Northwestern University as a senior research associate and laboratory manager in November 2003. He earned his PhD degree from the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Currently, he is studying estrogen receptor target promoters in breast cancer, measurement of the action of genes in breast cancer based on microarray-base technology, and detection of aromatase gene in breast cancer tissue. His second role is to maintain, instruct, and supervise the laboratory operation. Xia Luo, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Xia joined Dr. Bulun's laboratory as a research scholar in March 2008. She earned her PhD degree in Shandong University in 2001. She is interested in the detection of aromatase regulatory mechanism in placenta. Erica E. Marsh, MD
Fellow, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI)
Marsh is a first-year REI fellow who recently moved from Boston where she finished her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Integrated Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Women's Hospital. During medical school and residency, she conducted clinical research in reproductive endocrinology with Drs. Janet Hall and William Crowley. During her fellowship with Dr. Bulun, Marsh will be studying leiomyoma and ethnic/racial variations in diseases of the reproductive tract. Mary Ellen Pavone, MD
Fellow, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI)
Mary Ellen Pavone is a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellow. She graduated from Boston University with a BA in Philosophy prior to attending the Boston Universoty School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was involved in clinical research projects with Dr. Edward Wallach. She joined Dr. Bulun's lab in Fall 2007 and is studying differential gene expression in the endometrium and endometriosis. Scott Reierstad, BS
Senior Research Technologist, Laboratory Manager
Reierstad has worked for Northwestern University for four years in a few different laboratories before joining this one. After his arrival in May 2004, he began working with Dr. Lin on a project involving the use of ChIP cloning to identify genes involved with the ER in breast cancer cells upon treatment with Estradiol. He also checks aromatase expression in tissues from patients with breast cancer. Emily Su, MD MS
Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Su is a second-year fellow in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and has begun working with Dr. Cheng on characterization of 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 in hep G2 cells and placental microvascular endothelial cells. Hideki Tokunaga, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Tokunaga joined Dr. Bulun's laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow in April 2007. He earned his PhD degree in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, in 2007. He is now focusing on gene expression and regulation in uterine fibroids. His current work involves the detection of aromatase regulatory mechanism in uterine fibroids.
Elena V. Trukhacheva, MD
Fellow, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI)
Elena Trukhacheva is a first-year REI fellow. Elena recently moved from Houston where she finished residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine. During residency Elena worked with Dr. John Buster and Dr. Sandra Carson conducting research on embryo selection criteria and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. During the fellowship with Dr. Bulun, Elena will be studying the role and distribution of estrogen and progesterone receptors in endometrium and endometriosis. 
Ping Yin, MD, PhD
Senior Research Associate
Yin joined Northwestern as a senior research associate in November 2004. She is investigating mechanisms underlying the formation of uterine leiomyoma and exploring therapeutic strategies for its treatment. Hong Zhao, MD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Zhao received her MD degree in 1990 and PhD degree in 2000 from Nanjing Medical University, China. She was a postdoctoral fellow in laboratory of Dr. Derek LeRoith at the Diabetes Branch of National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Zhao has worked as a research assistant professor in Dr. Bulun’s laboratory since September 2005. Her study is focusing on the function of aromatase using a transgenic mouse model.
- Cheng YH, AG Imir, V Fencki, MB Yilmaz and Bulun SE: Stromal cell of endometriosis fail to produce paracrine factors that induce epithelial 17b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 gene and its transcriptional regulator Sp1: a mechanism for defective estradiol metabolism. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 196:391.e1-7; discussion 391.e7-8 (2007).
- Su E, YH Cheng, R Chatterton, Z Lin, P Yin, S Reierstad, J Innes and SE Bulun: Regulation of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17β-HSD@) in human placental endothelial cells. Biol Reprod. 77:51725 (2007).
- Imir AG, Z Lin, P Yin, S Deb, MB Yilmaz, M Cetin, A Cetin, and SE Bulun: Aromatase expression in uterine leiomyomata is regulated primarily by proximal promoters I.3/II. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 92:1979-1982 (2007).
- Lin Z, Reierstad S, Huang C and SE Bulun: Novel estrogen receptor-α binding sites and estradiol target genes identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation-cloning in breast cancer. Cancer Res. 67:5017-5024 (2007).
- Xue Q, Lin Z, Yin P, Milad MP, Cheng YH, Confino E, Reierstad S and SE Bulun: Transcriptional activation of steroidogenic factor-1 by hypomethylation of the 5'CpG island in endmetriosis. J Clin Endocrino Metab. 92:3261-7 (2007).
- Bulun SE, Chen D, Lu M, Zhao H, Cheng YH, Demura M, Yilmaz MB, Martin R, Utsunomiya H, Thung S, Su E, Marsh EE, Hakim A, Yin P, Ishikawa H, Amin S, Imir G, Gurates B, Attar E, Reierstad S, Innes J and Z Lin: Aromatase excess in cancers of breast, endometrium and ovary. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 106:81-96 (2007).
- Anderson H, Bulun SE, Smith I, Dowsett M: Predictors of response to aromatase inhibitors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 106-4954 (2007).
- Chen D, Reierstad S, Z Lin, M Lu, C Brooks, N Li, J Innes and SE Bulun: PGE2 induces breast cancer-related aromatase promoters via activation of p38 and JNK in adipose fibroblasts. Cancer Res. 67:8914-22 (2007).
- Xue, Q, Lin Z Cheng YH, Yin P, Reierstad S, Marsh EE, Milad MP, Confino E, Innes J and SE Bulun: Promoter methylation regulates estrogen receptor 2 in endometrium and endometriosis. Biol Reprod. 77:681-687 (2007).
- Demura M, Martin RM, Shozu M, Sebastian S, Takayama K, Hsu WT, Schultz RA, Neely K, Bryant M, Mendonca BB, Hanaki K, Kanzaki S, Rhoads DB, Misra M and SE Bulun: Regional rearrangements in chromosome 15q21 cause formation of cryptic promoters for the CYP 19 (aromatase) gene. Hum Mol Genet. 16:2529-41 (2007).
- Pin Y, Lin Z, Cheng YH, Marsh EE, Utsunomiya H, Ishikawa H, Xue Q, Reierstad S, Innes J, Kim JJ, Xu EY and SE Bulun: Progesterone receptor regulates Bcl-2 gene expression through direct binding to its promoter region in uterine leiomyoma cells. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 92:4459-66 (2007).
- Demura M and SE Bulun: CpG dinucleotide methylation of the CYP19 I.3/II promoter modulates cAMP-stimulated aromatase activity. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 283:127-32 (2008).
- Ishikawa H, Fencki V, Marsh EE, Yin P, Chen D, Cheng YH, Reierstad S, Lin Z and SE Bulun: CCAAT/Enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) regulates aromatase expression via multiple and novel DNA sequences in uterine leiomyoma. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 93:981-91 (2008).
- Utsunomiya H, Cheng YH, Lin Z, reierstad S, Yin P, Attar E, Xue Q, Imir AG, Thung S, Suzuki T, Sasano H, Kim JJ, Yaegashi N and SE Bulun: Upstream stimulatory factors regulate steroidogenic factor-1 expression in endometriosis. Mol Endocrinol. 22:904-14 (2008).
To obtain reprints, please email Diana Carandang at Ldc@northwestern.edu. National Institutes of Health
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