Rebecca Schweppe, PhD
Professor, Medicine-Endocrinology/Metabolism/Diabetes

Photo
Graduate School :
  • PhD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (2000)
Undergraduate School:
  • BA, Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) (1994)
Department: Medicine-Endocrinology/Metabolism/Diabetes

Professional Titles

  • Associate Director, Cancer Biology Graduate Program
  • Research Director, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes

Recognition & Awards

  • Dean's Doctoral Mentoring Award, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Graduate School (2020)
    This award goes to faculty who demonstrate commitment to providing students with a one-on-one, high-quality training experience; maintain high standards of scholarship; and possess personal attributes that make the faculty member an effective role model for other mentors. Faculty are nominated by the doctoral students whom which they mentored for at least one semester and with a significant amount of one-on-one interaction.
  • Faculty Sponsor Award, University of Colorado Graduate School (2014)
    Faculty Sponsor Award, University of Colorado Graduate School, Outstanding mentor award
  • Outstanding junior faculty "Rising Stars" award, Department of Medicine (2013)
    Outstanding junior faculty “Rising Stars” award from the Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for excellence in research and teaching

Research Interests

The investigation of molecular mechanisms and targeted therapies is critical to help us understand the causes of thyroid cancer, how the tumor grows and spreads, and how we can find new ways to treat advanced disease for which there is currently no cure. The deregulation of protein kinases plays a major role in promoting tumorigenesis in the majority of human cancers, including thyroid cancer, and targeting this deregulated activity has led to major breakthroughs in cancer therapy. The goals of Dr. Rebecca Schweppe’s lab are to understand the regulation and function of deregulated kinase pathways in thyroid cancer in order to develop more effective therapies. We use translational approaches using cell lines derived from thyroid tumors to understand why some tumors are sensitive or resistant to different kinase-directed therapies, with the goal of identifying predictive biomarkers of response, and improving clinical responses. Ultimately, these studies will identify rational and more specific therapies for patients with advanced thyroid cancer.

Teaching

  • Graduate School Faculty (2008)
    School of Medicine, Other
    Cancer Biology PhD Program Pharmacology PhD Program MSTP Program

Publications

  • Rose MM, Espinoza VL, Hoff KJ, Pike LA, Sharma V, Hofmann MC, Tan AC, Pozdeyev N, Schweppe RE. BCL2L11 Induction Mediates Sensitivity to Src and MEK1/2 Inhibition in Thyroid Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Jan 6;15(2). PubMed PMID: 36672327
  • Nassar KW, Hintzsche JD, Bagby SM, Espinoza V, Langouët-Astrié C, Amato CM, Chimed TS, Fujita M, Robinson W, Tan AC, Schweppe RE. Targeting CDK4/6 Represents a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Acquired BRAF/MEK Inhibitor-Resistant Melanoma. Mol Cancer Ther. 2021 Oct;20(10):2049-2060. PubMed PMID: 34376578
  • Pozdeyev N, Rose MM, Bowles DW, Schweppe RE. Molecular therapeutics for anaplastic thyroid cancer. Semin Cancer Biol. 2020 Apr;61:23-29. PubMed PMID: 31991166
  • Landa I, Pozdeyev N, Knauf JA, Haugen BR, Fagin JA, Schweppe RE. Genetics of Human Thyroid Cancer Cell Lines-Response. Clin Cancer Res. 2019 Nov 15;25(22):6883-6884. PubMed PMID: 31732665
  • Capes-Davis A, Bairoch A, Barrett T, Burnett EC, Dirks WG, Hall EM, Healy L, Kniss DA, Korch C, Liu Y, Neve RM, Nims RW, Parodi B, Schweppe RE, Storts DR, Tian F. Cell Lines as Biological Models: Practical Steps for More Reliable Research. Chem Res Toxicol. 2019 Sep 16;32(9):1733-1736. PubMed PMID: 31203605
  • Landa I, Pozdeyev N, Korch C, Marlow LA, Smallridge RC, Copland JA, Henderson YC, Lai SY, Clayman GL, Onoda N, Tan AC, Garcia-Rendueles MER, Knauf JA, Haugen BR, Fagin JA, Schweppe RE. Comprehensive Genetic Characterization of Human Thyroid Cancer Cell Lines: A Validated Panel for Preclinical Studies. Clin Cancer Res. 2019 May 15;25(10):3141-3151. PubMed PMID: 30737244
  • Schweppe RE, Pozdeyev N, Pike LA, Korch C, Zhou Q, Sams SB, Sharma V, Pugazhenthi U, Raeburn C, Albuja-Cruz MB, Reigan P, LaBarbera DV, Landa I, Knauf JA, Fagin JA, Haugen BR. Establishment and Characterization of Four Novel Thyroid Cancer Cell Lines and PDX Models Expressing the RET/PTC1 Rearrangement, BRAFV600E, or RASQ61R as Drivers. Mol Cancer Res. 2019 May;17(5):1036-1048. PubMed PMID: 30733375
  • Kessler BE, Mishall KM, Kellett MD, Clark EG, Pugazhenthi U, Pozdeyev N, Kim J, Tan AC, Schweppe RE. Resistance to Src inhibition alters the BRAF-mutant tumor secretome to promote an invasive phenotype and therapeutic escape through a FAK>p130Cas>c-Jun signaling axis. Oncogene. 2019 Apr;38(14):2565-2579. PubMed PMID: 30531837
  • Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Zhang Y, Bagby S, Kar A, Pozdeyev N, Xu M, Gowan K, Sharma V, Raeburn CD, Albuja-Cruz M, Jones KL, Fishbein L, Schweppe R, Somerset HL, Pitts TM, Leong S, Wierman M. Development of new preclinical models to advance adrenocortical carcinoma research. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2018 Jan 25. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29371329
  • Beadnell TC, Nassar KW, Rose MM, Clark EG, Danysh BP, Hofmann MC, Pozdeyev N, Schweppe RE. Src-mediated regulation of the PI3K pathway in advanced papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Oncogenesis. 2018 Feb 28;7(2):23. PubMed PMID: 29487290
  • Kessler BE, Mishall KM, Kellett MD, Clark EG, Pugazhenthi U, Pozdeyev N, Kim J, Tan AC, Schweppe RE. Resistance to Src inhibition alters the BRAF-mutant tumor secretome to promote an invasive phenotype and therapeutic escape through a FAK>p130Cas>c-Jun signaling axis. Oncogene. 2018 Dec 10. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30531837
  • Rosenthal MS, Angelos P, Schweppe RE. Research ethics dilemmas in thyroid disease. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2018 Oct;25(5):335-340. PubMed PMID: 30095478
  • Oweida A, Phan A, Vancourt B, Robin T, Hararah MK, Bhatia S, Milner D, Lennon S, Pike L, Raben D, Haugen B, Pozdeyev N, Schweppe R, Karam SD. Hypofractionated Radiotherapy Is Superior to Conventional Fractionation in an Orthotopic Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. Thyroid. 2018 Jun;28(6):739-747. PubMed PMID: 29774792
  • Pozdeyev N, Gay LM, Sokol ES, Hartmaier R, Deaver KE, Davis S, French JD, Borre PV, LaBarbera DV, Tan AC, Schweppe RE, Fishbein L, Ross JS, Haugen BR, Bowles DW. Genetic Analysis of 779 Advanced Differentiated and Anaplastic Thyroid Cancers. Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Jul 1;24(13):3059-3068. PubMed PMID: 29615459
  • Beadnell TC, Nassar KW, Rose MM, Clark EG, Danysh BP, Hofmann MC, Pozdeyev N, Schweppe RE. Src-mediated regulation of the PI3K pathway in advanced papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Oncogenesis. 2018 Feb 28;7(2):23. PubMed PMID: 29487290
  • Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Zhang Y, Bagby SM, Kar A, Pozdeyev N, Xu M, Gowan K, Sharma V, Raeburn CD, Albuja-Cruz M, Jones KL, Fishbein L, Schweppe RE, Somerset H, Pitts TM, Leong S, Wierman ME. Development of new preclinical models to advance adrenocortical carcinoma research. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2018 Apr;25(4):437-451. PubMed PMID: 29371329
  • Mishall KM, Beadnell TC, Kuenzi BM, Klimczak DM, Superti-Furga G, Rix U, Schweppe RE. Sustained activation of the AKT/mTOR and MAP kinase pathways mediate resistance to the Src inhibitor, dasatinib, in thyroid cancer. Oncotarget. 2017 Nov 28;8(61):103014-103031. PubMed PMID: 29262541
  • Pozdeyev N, Yoo M, Mackie R, Schweppe RE, Tan AC, Haugen BR. Integrating heterogeneous drug sensitivity data from cancer pharmacogenomic studies. Oncotarget. 2016 Aug 9;7(32):51619-51625. PubMed PMID: 27322211
  • Kessler BE, Sharma V, Zhou Q, Jing X, Pike LA, Kerege AA, Sams SB, Schweppe RE. FAK Expression, Not Kinase Activity, Is a Key Mediator of Thyroid Tumorigenesis and Protumorigenic Processes. Mol Cancer Res. 2016 Sep;14(9):869-82. PubMed PMID: 27259715
  • Beadnell TC, Mishall KM, Zhou Q, Riffert SM, Wuensch KE, Kessler BE, Corpuz ML, Jing X, Kim J, Wang G, Tan AC, Schweppe RE. The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway Facilitates Resistance to the Src Inhibitor Dasatinib in Thyroid Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther. 2016 Aug;15(8):1952-63. PubMed PMID: 27222538
  • Henderson YC, Ahn SH, Ryu J, Chen Y, Williams MD, El-Naggar AK, Gagea M, Schweppe RE, Haugen BR, Lai SY, Clayman GL. Development and characterization of six new human papillary thyroid carcinoma cell lines. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Feb;100(2):E243-52. PubMed PMID: 25427145
  • Chatterji T, Varkaris AS, Parikh NU, Song JH, Cheng CJ, Schweppe RE, Alexander S, Davis JW, Troncoso P, Friedl P, Kuang J, Lin SH, Gallick GE. Yes-mediated phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase at tyrosine 861 increases metastatic potential of prostate cancer cells. Oncotarget. 2015 Apr 30;6(12):10175-94. PubMed PMID: 25868388
  • Morrison JA, Pike LA, Lund G, Zhou Q, Kessler BE, Bauerle KT, Sams SB, Haugen BR, Schweppe RE. Characterization of thyroid cancer cell lines in murine orthotopic and intracardiac metastasis models. Horm Cancer. 2015 Jun;6(2-3):87-99. PubMed PMID: 25800363
  • Henderson YC, Ahn SH, Ryu J, Chen Y, Williams MD, El-Naggar AK, Gagea M, Schweppe RE, Haugen BR, Lai SY, Clayman GL. Development and characterization of six new human papillary thyroid carcinoma cell lines. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Feb;100(2):E243-52. PubMed PMID: 25427145
  • Bauerle KT, Schweppe RE, Lund G, Kotnis G, Deep G, Agarwal R, Pozdeyev N, Wood WM, Haugen BR. Nuclear factor ?B-dependent regulation of angiogenesis, and metastasis in an in vivo model of thyroid cancer is associated with secreted interleukin-8. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Aug;99(8):E1436-44. PubMed PMID: 24758177
  • Plantinga TS, Heinhuis B, Gerrits D, Netea MG, Joosten LA, Hermus AR, Oyen WJ, Schweppe RE, Haugen BR, Boerman OC, Smit JW, Netea-Maier RT. mTOR Inhibition promotes TTF1-dependent redifferentiation and restores iodine uptake in thyroid carcinoma cell lines. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jul;99(7):E1368-75. PubMed PMID: 24712572
  • Schweppe RE. Thyroid cancer cell line misidentification: an update. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Mar;98(3):956-7. PubMed PMID: 23472230
  • Hicks, HM, McKenna, LR, Espinoza, VL, Pozdeyev, N, Pike, LA, Sams, SB, LaBarbera, D, Reigan, P, Raeburn, CD, and RE Schweppe*. Inhibition of BRAF and ERK1/2 has synergistic effects on thyroid cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. In Press. Molecular Carcinogenesis. *Corresponding Author.
View All (28 Total) View Less

Professional Memberships

  • American Thyroid Association, Full Member
  • The National Endocrine Society, Full Member
  • American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Full Member
  • International Thyroid Oncology Group (ITOG), Full Member

General Information

Graduate Schools:
  • PhD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (2000)
Undergraduate Schools:
  • BA, Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) (1994)
Department: Medicine-Endocrinology/Metabolism/Diabetes
SOM Resources
CU Resources
Contact Us
CU Anschutz
Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
Campus Box C290
Aurora, CO 80045

Update My Profile
;