Northwestern University · BiologyMelanoma Cell Communication Lab
Kathleen Janee Green · Evanston, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Kathleen Janee Green's lab at Northwestern University focuses on understanding how skin cells, specifically melanocytes and keratinocytes, communicate and how this communication impacts the development of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. They explore how certain molecules, like desmoglein 1, change in response to environmental factors like UV radiation and how these changes contribute to cancer progression. This research has important implications in identifying early markers for melanoma and strategies for prevention.
melanomakeratinocytesmelanocytesdesmoglein 1cell communicationtumor progressionUV radiationcancer signalingoncogenesis
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how the loss of Dsg1 in keratinocytes affects the fate of adjacent melanocytes and promotes melanoma development.
AIM 02Evaluate the mechanisms by which melanoma cells downregulate Dsg1 in keratinocytes to enhance their own tumorigenic potential.
AIM 03Utilize 3D epidermal co-cultures to model melanoma interactions in a controlled environment.
AIM 04Analyze the role of oxidative stress in melanoma cell communication with keratinocytes.
AIM 05Identify potential biomarkers that predict invasive melanoma and strategies for cancer interception.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culture3D co-culture techniquesanimal modelssingle-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)proteomic analysistranscriptional profilingimaging techniquesmolecular biology techniquesdata analysis using software
Output against the department
Publications333top 15% of dept.158th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations13ktop 28% of dept.288th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.