Levi Watson, PhD
Assistant Professor, OB-GYN-Basic Repro Science
Graduate School
- PhD, University of Florida (2013)
Undergraduate School
- BSc, University of North Florida (FL) (2006)
Languages
EnglishDepartment
OB-GYN-Basic Repro ScienceProfessional Titles
- Instructor
Recognitions
- Travel Award, University of Colorado Postdoctoral Association (2018)
- Best Presentation, University of Colorado Cancer Biology Postdoc Symposium (2018)
- Best Faculty Poster, University of Colorado OB/GYN Research Retreat (2019)
Publications
- Bapat J, Yamamoto TM, Woodruff ER, Qamar L, Mikeska RG, Aird KM, Watson ZL, Brubaker LW, Bitler BG. CASC4/GOLM2 drives high grade serous carcinoma anoikis resistance through the recycling of EGFR. Cancer Gene Ther. 2024 Feb;31(2):300-310. PubMed PMID: 38030811
- Nguyen LL, Watson ZL, Ortega R, Woodruff ER, Jordan KR, Iwanaga R, Yamamoto TM, Bailey CA, To F, Jeong AD, Guntupalli SR, Behbakht K, Gibaja V, Arnoult N, Cocozaki A, Chuong EB, Bitler BG. Combining EHMT and PARP Inhibition: A Strategy to Diminish Therapy-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Tumor Growth while Stimulating Immune Activation. Mol Cancer Ther. 2024 Jun 12;:OF1-OF16. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38863225
- Nguyen LL, Watson ZL, Ortega R, Woodruff ER, Jordan KR, Iwanaga R, Yamamoto TM, Bailey CA, To F, Lin S, Villagomez FR, Jeong AD, Guntupalli SR, Behbakht K, Gibaja V, Arnoult N, Chuong EB, Bitler BG. EHMT1/2 Inhibition Promotes Regression of Therapy-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Tumors in a CD8 T-cell-Dependent Manner. Mol Cancer Res. 2024 Dec 3;22(12):1117-1127. PubMed PMID: 39136655
- Woodruff ER, Bailey CA, To F, Manda V, Maltzahn JK, Sullivan TM, Boorgula MP, Recouvreux MS, Vianzon R, Conrad B, Gavin KM, Jordan KR, Klemm DJ, Orsulic S, Bitler BG, Watson ZL. Ablation of hematopoietic stem cell derived adipocytes reduces tumor burden in syngeneic mouse models of high-grade serous carcinoma. bioRxiv. 2024 Sep 25. PubMed PMID: 39345441
- Bitler BG, Bailey CA, Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Kim H, Watson ZL. Targeting BRPF3 moderately reverses olaparib resistance in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Mol Carcinog. 2023 Nov;62(11):1717-1730. PubMed PMID: 37493106
- Bapat J, Yamamoto TM, Woodruff ER, Qamar L, Mikeska RG, Aird KM, Watson ZL, Brubaker LW, Bitler BG. CASC4/GOLM2 drives high grade serous carcinoma anoikis resistance through the recycling of EGFR. Cancer Gene Ther. 2023 Nov 29. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38030811
- Brubaker LW, Backos DS, Nguyen VT, Reigan P, Yamamoto TM, Woodruff ER, Iwanaga R, Wempe MF, Kumar V, Persenaire C, Watson ZL, Bitler BG. Novel chromobox 2 inhibitory peptide decreases tumor progression. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2023 Apr-May;27(4-5):361-371. PubMed PMID: 37243607
- Corr BR, Moroney MR, Woodruff E, Watson ZL, Jordan KR, Danhorn T, Bailey C, Wolsky RJ, Bitler BG. Combination CDC-like kinase inhibition (CLK)/Dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinase (DYRK) and taxane therapy in CTNNB1-mutated endometrial cancer. bioRxiv. 2023 Apr 6. PubMed PMID: 37066339
- Nguyen LL, Watson ZL, Ortega R, Woodruff ER, Jordan KR, Iwanaga R, Yamamoto TM, Bailey CA, Jeong AD, Guntupalli SR, Behbakht K, Gbaja V, Arnoult N, Chuong EB, Bitler BG. Combinatory EHMT and PARP inhibition induces an interferon response and a CD8 T cell-dependent tumor regression in PARP inhibitor-resistant models. bioRxiv. 2023 Feb 23. PubMed PMID: 36865165
- BRPF3 knockdown or inhibition moderately reverses olaparib resistance in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma Benjamin G. Bitler, Tomomi M. Yamamoto, Alexandra McMellen, Hyunmin Kim, Zachary L. Watson doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.21.473688
- Sawyer BT, Qamar L, Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Watson ZL, Richer JK, Behbakht K, Schlaepfer IR, Bitler BG. Targeting Fatty Acid Oxidation to Promote Anoikis and Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Progression. Mol Cancer Res. 2020 Jul;18(7):1088-1098. PubMed PMID: 32198139
- Jordan KR, Sikora MJ, Slansky JE, Minic A, Richer JK, Moroney MR, Hu J, Wolsky RJ, Watson ZL, Yamamoto TM, Costello JC, Clauset A, Behbakht K, Kumar TR, Bitler BG. The Capacity of the Ovarian Cancer Tumor Microenvironment to Integrate Inflammation Signaling Conveys a Shorter Disease-free Interval. Clin Cancer Res. 2020 Dec 1;26(23):6362-6373. PubMed PMID: 32928797
- Eliciting OTUD3/RIPK-Dependent Necroptosis to Prevent Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.29.069021
- Watson ZL, Bitler BG. Type I Protein Arginine Methyltransferases Overexpression Promotes Transformation and Potentiates Her2/Neu-Driven Tumorigenesis. Cancer Res. 2019 Jan 1;79(1):3-4. PubMed PMID: 30602621
- Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Watson ZL, Aguilera J, Ferguson R, Nurmemmedov E, Thakar T, Moldovan GL, Kim H, Cittelly DM, Joglar AM, Brennecke EP, Wilson H, Behbakht K, Sikora MJ, Bitler BG. Activation of Wnt signaling promotes olaparib resistant ovarian cancer. Mol Carcinog. 2019 Oct;58(10):1770-1782. PubMed PMID: 31219654
- Wheeler LJ, Watson ZL, Qamar L, Yamamoto TM, Sawyer BT, Sullivan KD, Khanal S, Joshi M, Ferchaud-Roucher V, Smith H, Vanderlinden LA, Brubaker SW, Caino CM, Kim H, Espinosa JM, Richer JK, Bitler BG. Multi-Omic Approaches Identify Metabolic and Autophagy Regulators Important in Ovarian Cancer Dissemination. iScience. 2019 Sep 27;19:474-491. PubMed PMID: 31437751
- Park PH, Yamamoto TM, Li H, Alcivar AL, Xia B, Wang Y, Bernhardy AJ, Turner KM, Kossenkov AV, Watson ZL, Behbakht K, Casadei S, Swisher EM, Mischel PS, Johnson N, Bitler BG. Amplification of the mutation-carrying BRCA2 allele promotes RAD51 loading and PARP inhibitor resistance in the absence of reversion mutations. Mol Cancer Ther. 2019 Oct 1. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31575654
- Watson ZL, Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Kim H, Hughes CJ, Wheeler LJ, Post MD, Behbakht K, Bitler BG. Histone methyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2 (GLP/G9A) maintain PARP inhibitor resistance in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma. 2019. Clin Epigenetics. doi: 10.1186/s13148-019-0758-2.
Professional Memberships
- American Association for Cancer Research, Associate Member
- Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Member
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, Affiliate Member
Personal Interests
I work in cancer research, and my training in virology and epigenetics give me a unique perspective. Both are highly relevant, especially to immune responses. I love jazz, and long ago I was a guitarist in a band. I have hiked over a dozen of the Colorado 14ers, and I try to hike a few more each summer.
I work in cancer research, and my training in virology and epigenetics give me a unique perspective. Both are highly relevant, especially to immune responses. I love jazz, and long ago I was a guitarist in a band. I have hiked over a dozen of the Colorado 14ers, and I try to hike a few more each summer.