Dr. Tracy Keller

Biography

Dr. Tracy Leigh Keller received a BS in Nuclear Engineering from Kansas State University, an MS in Cancer Biology from Harvard School of Public Health, and a PhD in Cell Developmental Biology from Harvard University. Her research interests include metastatic signaling and the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase signal transduction pathway, which led to the design of a polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic assay for CNS Lyme disease. Keller's work focuses on developing projects to study stromal inflammatory signaling and to discover novel signal transduction pathways involved in chronic inflammatory diseases, tumor metastasis, and metabolic diseases. Her research established a cellular target and the molecular mechanism of action of the small molecule halofuginone. Presently, Keller investigates the amino acid restriction pathway, particularly its novel molecular signaling functions as a modulator of cellular and tissue inflammatory status. She is also interested in exploring the potential therapeutic role of hormetic stress signals in chronic inflammatory diseases, metabolic diseases, and aging. Currently, her research centers on understanding the activation of the amino acid restriction pathway in order to suppress inflammation-driven tissue remodeling and to develop therapeutic applications for conditions such as fibrosis, arthritis, chronic inflammatory diseases, and metabolic diseases.

Research Interests