Gwen Strand
Biography
Gwen Strand is an instructor in the Biology Department. She teaches lecture and/or lab for Principles of Biology: Molecules and Cells, Clinical Microbiology, and Genetics. She has also taught the first-year seminar course Cancer: Its Causes and Treatments.
Gwen is the on-campus coordinator for the clinical laboratory science, cytotechnology, and nuclear medicine technology programs with which the department is affiliated.
BIO 243: Microbiology
A basic introduction to the study of microorganisms and the principles of immunology and virology. Laboratory includes the study of basic cell processes and the identification and culturing of typical forms.
BIO 248: Genetics
A study of Mendelian genetics, gene structure, mechanisms of gene expression, mutagenesis, evolutionary genetics, and genomics.
BIO 139: Biology of Cancer
What makes a cancer cell different from a healthy cell? What causes cancer and why can it be difficult to treat? This course will explore the cellular processes involved in the transformation of a healthy cell to a cancer cell. Topics will include common genetic changes, abnormal regulation of the cell cycle, metastasis, and tumor viruses. Diagnosis, treatment, and current news topics will be discussed. Students will complete a research project that focuses on one type of cancer.
- M.S., Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2008
Thesis: “PTPN13 is a Potential Tumor Suppressor for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma” - B.A., Biology, Luther College, Decorah, IA, 2003
1. McCaw ML, Lykken GL, Singh PK, Yahr TL. ExsD is a negative regulator of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion regulon. Mol Microbiol. 2002 46:1123-33.
2. Dasgupta N, Lykken GL, Wolfgang MC, Yahr TL. A novel anti-anti-activator mechanism regulates expression of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system. Mol Microbiol. 2004 53:297-308.
3. Urbanowski ML, Lykken GL, Yahr TL. A secreted regulatory protein couples transcription to the secretory activity of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005 102:9930-5.
4. Lykken GL, Chen G, Brutinel ED, Chen L, Yahr TL. Characterization of ExsC and ExsD self-association and heterocomplex formation. J Bacteriol. 2006 188:6832-40.
5. Spanos WC, Hoover A, Harris GF, Wu S, Strand GL, Anderson ME, Klingelhutz AJ, Hendriks W, Bossler AD, Lee JH. The PDZ binding motif of Human Papillomavirus type 16 E6 induces PTPN13 loss, which allows anchorage-independent growth and synergizes with Ras for invasive growth. J Virol. 2008 82:2493-500.
6. Hoover AC, Strand GL, Nowicki PN, Anderson ME, Vermeer PD, Klingelhutz AJ, Bossler AD, Pottala JV, Hendriks WJ, Lee JH. Impaired PTPN13 phosphatase activity in spontaneous or HPV-induced squamous cell carcinomas potentiates oncogene signaling through the MAP kinase pathway. Oncogene. 2009 28(45):3960-70.