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Kay Oyajobi, Ph.D.

Contact

210-567-0909

oyajobi@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Research

Research profile

Babatunde O. Oyajobi, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.

Professor

Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy

Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Dr. Oyajobi's lab conducts studies aimed at understanding the pathogenesis of cancer-induced bone diseases and specifically, the multiple myeloma-associated bone disease. We are particularly interested in the translation of novel insights into the biology of multiple myeloma-induced bone disease into therapies for patients and employ a variety of complementary in vitro and in vivo approaches. To evaluate efficacy of novel therapeutic agents, we utilize primarily the Radl 5T model of myeloma which replicates many of the features seen in the human disease. In this model, when murine 5TGM1 myeloma cells genetically engineered to express either green fluorescent protein or luciferase are injected intravenously in naïve syngeneic C57BL/kaLwRijHsd mice, they home to the skeleton where they form tumors in the medullary cavities.

 

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2007 - MBA - Business Administration (Cum GPA: 3.65) - University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business
    • 1992 - PhD - Human Metabolism & Clinical Biochemistry - The University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, U.K.
    • 1986 - MS - Clinical Biochemistry (with Distinction) - University of Leeds School of Medicine, Leeds, U.K.
    • 1983 - BM BS - Medicine/Surgery (distinction in Pathology) - University of Lagos, College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria
    • Pre-Clinicals (distinction in Anatomy) - Faculty of Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
    • Internship - Internal Medicine/Surgery/Ob-Gyn/Pediatrics - Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
    • Residency - Internal Medicine/General Surgery - Nigeria Police Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
    • Postdoctoral Fellowship - Bone & Cartilage Biology (arc Fellowship) - University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, U.K.
    • Postdoctoral Fellowship - Myeloma Biology (IMF Brian Novis Award) - Department of Medicine/Endocrinology, UT Health San Antonio, TX
    • Postdoctoral Fellowship - Bone Cell Biology (Poste-Vert Fellowship) - INSERM Unite 349, Centre Viggo Petersen, Hopital Lariboisiere, Paris, France

    Pages

    Appointments

    • 4/2019 - Associate Director, Training - Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, UT Health San Antonio, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
    • 3/2018 - Deputy Chair for Education & Training - Cell Systems & Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, Cellular & Structural Biology
    • 9/2017 - Professor (Tenured) - Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy; cross appointments in Departments of Medicine and Molecular Medicine, UT Health San AntonioSan Antonio
    • 7/2015 - Program Director, SABER*IRACDA Program (PI, NIGMS K12) - UT Health San Antonio
    • 9/2013 - Program Director, South Texas Doctoral Bridge Program (PI, NIGMS R25E Bridges-to-the-Doctorate) - UT Health San Antonio
    • 2/2013 - Program Director, UTHSCSA Cancer Research Training Program (PI, CPRIT Research Training Award) - UT Health San Antonio
    • 11/2012 - Chair, Committee on Graduate Studies - Cellular & Structural Biology Graduate Program - Cell Systems & Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio
    • 9/2008 - Graduate Faculty, Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program (IMGP) and Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program (IBMS), from 07/2014) - UT Health San Antonio Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
    • 8/2004 - Member - Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, UT Health San Antonio
    • 8/1999 - Full Member (Experimental & Developmental Therapeutics Program) - UT Health San Antonio Cancer Center (NCI-designated Cancer Center; formerly San Antonio Cancer Institute)

  • Instruction & Training

    • 7/2018 - Present, Membership on Supervising Committee, UT Health San Antonio
    • 8/2017 - Present, INTD5035 University Teaching Excellence Course (UTEC)
    • 2/2016 - Present, Conduct/Patient Orient Clin Res, The University of Texas Health Science Center
    • 9/2015 - Present, Post-Doctoral Student Supervision, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 2/2015 - Present, CSBL 5022 Interdisciplinary Human Gross Anatomy
    • 2/2012 - Present, Cancer Biology Core I (Molecular Oncology), The University of Texas Health Science Center
    • 1/2006 - Present, Ph.D. Dissertations Directed, University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 5/2004 - Present, Cancer Biology Core I (Molecular Oncology), The University of Texas Health Science Center

  • Research & Grants

    Animal Models, Hematologic Malignancies

    Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics Program 

    Research profile

    Grants

    Federal

    Funding Agency NIH/NIGMS (2R25 GM102783-06) Title South Texas Doctoral Bridge Program Status Active Period 9/2013 - 5/2023 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail "The NIH Bridges-to-the-Doctorate initiative promotes partnerships/consortia between universities granting only terminal master?s degree in the biomedical/behavioral sciences (Texas State University-San Marcos) with institutions that offer the doctorate degree (UTHSCSA). The program expects that the joint efforts of doctorate degree-granting and master?s degree-granting institutions will foster development of a well-integrated institutional program that will provide students with the necessary academic preparation and skills to enable their transition and successful completion of the Ph.D. degree in biomedical and behavioral sciences." (Competitively renewed for second cycle in August 2018 for 5 years: $1,506,205 total costs; $1,483,760, direct costs)

    Multi-PI grant: Oyajobi BO (contact), Blake NMJ; Walter RB (Texas State)

    Funding Agency NIH/NIGMS (2R25 GM095480-06) Title Recruiting and Retaining Underrepresented Students Status Active Period 8/2011 - 4/2022 Role Contributor Grant Detail Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) Program. The major goal of this program is to provide an avenue to identify, recruit, and prepare underrepresented minority (URM) graduate students for timely completion of doctoral degrees and successful careers in the biomedical sciences. Dr. Oyajobi is a named mentor on the grant. Competitively renewed in 2017.

    PI/PDs: Blake, NMJ, PhD; Weiss, DS, PhD

    Funding Agency NIH/NCI (2T32 CA148724-06) Title Cancer Biology Training Program Status Active Period 8/2011 - 7/2021 Role Co-Investigator Grant Detail The goal of the Cancer Biology Training Program (PI & Program Director (PD): LuZhe Sun, PhD; Co-I/Co-PD: Kay Oyajobi) is to educate the next generation of cancer researchers to meet the growing demands for scientists trained in multiple facets of cancer biology. The training program has 29 preceptors from 12 departments institution-wide who are affiliated with the IMGP Cancer Biology Track and/or IBMS Cancer Biology Discipline as well as the Mays Cancer Center (MCC), UT Health San Antonio`s NCI-designated Cancer Center. Competitively renewed for second cycle in August 2016 (08/2016 - 07/2021; $1,132,015, total costs; $1,049,830, Direct costs). Funding Agency NIH/NIGMS (1K12 GM111726-01) Title San Antonio Biomedical and Educational Research (SABER) Program Status Active Period 7/2015 - 3/2020 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail The Institutional Research and Academic Career Development (IRACDA) Program provides support for a traditional mentored postdoctoral research experience at an RII (UTHSCSA) combined with an opportunity for these fellows to develop critical academic skills, including teaching, through workshops and through mentored teaching assignments at partner institutions (StMU and OLLU). The primary goals of the SABER IRACDA program are to (i) develop a group of highly trained biomedical and behavioral scientists who have the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue independent research and teaching careers in academia; and (ii) strengthen and modernize science educational offerings at partner institutions, and promote links between RII and the partner institution(s)."

    Multi-PI grant: Jim Lechleiter (Contact PI), Linda McManus & Kay Oyajobi

     

    Private

    Funding Agency Immunex Corp., Seattle WA (now Amgen Washington) Title Development of novel therapeutics for myeloma Status Active Period 10/2002 - 12/2029 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail Unrestricted Research Grant Award Funding Agency San Antonio Area Foundation (SAAF) Title Therapeutic targeting of the Ape1 endonuclease activity in multiple myeloma Status Active Period 4/2016 - 2/2018 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail Funding Agency The William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation Title Therapeutic targeting of the redox function of APE1 endonuclease in multiple myeloma Status Active Period 1/2016 - 12/2017 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail The goal of this proposal is to determine the utility of targeting the redox activity of the DNA damage response protein, APE1 endonuclease as an anti-tumor therapeutic strategy in multiple myeloma.

    State

    Funding Agency Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Title UTHSCSA Cancer Research Training Program Status Active Period 12/2016 - 11/2021 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail This Research Training Award (RTA) provides support for predoctoral and postdoctoral (post-residency MD fellowship and basic science PhD) trainees as well as undergraduate students (summer research internship program) to receive training in cancer research. The overall goal is for trainees to be exposed to all aspects of cancer research (basic, translational and clinical) so that they will have a strong appreciation of, and progress on to independent and productive careers in cancer research. This is a continuation of two earlier RTAs (RP101491, 07/13/10 ? 02/28/14; RP140105, 03/01/14 - 02/28/17).

  • Publications

      Abstract

      Wang H, Xiao L, Zhang H, Sun W, Ebetino FH, Boeckman RK Jr, Oyajobi B, Boyce BF, Xing L. Bone-targeted bortezomib prevents OVX- and myeloma-induced bone loss with less systemic adverse effects more effectively than bortezomib (PLENARY Poster: Annual Meeting of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Atlanta, GA; abstract # FR0312); 2016 Sep. Merkel A, Uppuganti S, Rowland B, Oyajobi B, Nyman J, Sterling J. Transforming growth factor beta inhibitor (1D11) combined with Bortezomib improves bone quality in a mouse model of myeloma-induced bone disease. (ORAL Presentation: Annual Meeting of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Atlanta, GA; abstract; 2016 Sep. Medina EA, Polusani SR, Oberheu K, Oyajobi BO. PKA/AMPK signaling is a mediator of the anti-proliferative effect of adiponectin on multiple myeloma cells; 2014 Apr. (5th Annual Frontiers of Translational Science Research Day, UTHSCSA). Medina EA, Polusani SR, Oberheu K, Oyajobi BO. PKA/AMPK signaling in relation to the anti-proliferative effect of adiponectin on multiple myeloma. (Poster: 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, San Diego, CA; (abstract # 2437); 2014 Apr. (2014 Proceedings of the AACR).

      Journal Article

      Gupta A*, Sharma R*, Wideman C*, Williams PJ, Tabassi R, McCluskey B, Bhaskaran S, Saenz-Flores A, Oyajobi BO (Corresponding author). Bortezomib prolongs survival in an in vivo murine model of multiple myeloma. (*Equal contribution) To be submitted to British Journal of Haematology 2019 Aug;. Khoo WH, Ledergor G, Weiner A, Roden DL, Terry RL, McDonald MM, Chai RC, Veirman K, Owen KL, Opperman KS, Vandyke K, Clark JR, Seckinger A, Kovacic N, Nguyen A, Mohanty ST, Pettitt JA, Xiao Y, Corr AP, Seeliger C, Novotny M, Lasken R, Nguyen TV, Oyajobi BO, Aftab DT, Swarbrick A, Parker B, Hewett D, Hose D, Vanderkerken K, Zannettino ACW, Amit I, Phan TG, Croucher PI.
      . A niche-dependent myeloid transcriptome signature defines dormant myeloma cells [Highlighted in (a) Blood Editorial Commentary: "Myeloma sleeper agent in myeloid disguise", pg 3-4 ; (b) "Key to targeting dormant cancer cells" ScienceDaily, 25 April 2019] Blood 2019 Jul;134(1):30-43. Polusani SR, Cortez V, Esparza J, Nguyen HN, Velagaleti GVN, Fan H, Kinney MC, Oyajobi BO, Habib S, Asmis R, Medina EA. Oxidatively modified low-density lipoproteins are potential mediators of proteasome inhibitor resistance in multiple myeloma. Revised version re-submitted to Hematologica 2019 Feb;. Wang, H, Xiao L, Tao J, Srinivasan V, Boyce BF, Ebetino FH, Oyajobi BO, Boekman RK, Xing L. Synthesis of a bone-targeted bortezomib with in vivo anti-myeloma effects in mice Pharmaceutics 2018 Sep;10(3). McDonald MM, Reagan MR, Youlten SE, Mohanty ST, Seckinger A, Terry RL, Pettitt JA, Simic MK, Cheng TL, Morse A, Le LMT, Abi-Hanna D, Kramer I, Falank C, Fairfield H, Ghobrial IM, Baldock PA, Little DG, Kneissel M, Vanderkerken K, Bassett JHD, Williams GR, Oyajobi BO, Hose D, Phan TG, Croucher PI. Inhibiting the osteocyte specific protein sclerostin increases bone mass and fracture resistance in multiple myeloma Blood 2017 Jun;129(26):3452-3464. Nyman JS, Merkel AR, Uppuganti S, Nayak B, Rowland B, Makowski AJ, Oyajobi BO, Sterling JA. Combined treatment with a transforming growth factor beta inhibitor (1D11) and bortezomib improves bone architecture in a mouse model of myeloma-induced bone disease Bone 2016 Oct;91(10):81-91. Paiva B, Azpilikueta A, Puig N, Ocio EM, Sharma R, Oyajobi BO, Labiano S, San-Segundo L, Rodriguez A, Aires-Mejia I, Rodriguez I, Escalante F, de Coca AG, Barez A, San Miguel JF, Melero I. PD-L1/PD-1 presence in the tumor microenvironment and activity of PD-1 blockade in multiple myeloma Leukemia 2015 Oct;29(10):2110-2113. Sharma R,* Williams PJ,* Gupta A, McCluskey B, Bhaskaran S, Mu?oz S, Oyajobi BO (Corresponding author). A dominant-negative F-box-deleted mutant of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, beta-TrCP1/FWD1 markedly reduces myeloma cell growth and survival in mice. (*Equal contribution) Oncotarget 2015 Aug;6(25):21589-21602. De Veirman K, Van Ginderachter JA, Lub S, De Beule N,Thielemans K, Bautmans I, Oyajobi BO, De Bruyne E, Menu E, Lemaire M, Van Riet I, Vanderkerken K, Van Valckenborgh E. Multiple myeloma induces Mcl-1 expression and survival of myeloid-derived suppressor cells Oncotarget 2015 Mar;6(12):10532-10547. Medina EA, Oberheu K, Polusani SR, Ortega V, Velagaleti GVN, Oyajobi BO
      . PKA/AMPK signaling in relation to the anti-proliferative effect of adiponectin on multiple myeloma. [Highlighted in (i) Association of American Cancer Institutes Update June 2014; (ii) Science Daily, news release 05/14/14 Leukemia 2014 Oct;28(10):2080-2089. Sou K, Goins B, Oyajobi BO, Travi BL, Phillips WT. Bone marrow-targeted liposomal carriers Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery 2011 Mar;8(3):317-328.

      Other

      Munoz S, Goins B, Munoz S, Armstrong A, Kakonen R, Williams PJ, Gupta A, Story B, Grubbs B, Dougall WC, Garrett IR, Phillips WT, Mundy GR, Oyajobi BO. Whole body optical imaging of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing myeloma timors in the 5TGM1 model of human multiple myeloma bone disease: Comparison with 16F-FDG-PET scans (manuscript in preparation) Molecular Imaging 2015 Jan;.