Emily Bell

About Me

• B.Sc. in Biochemistry of Infection and Immunity
  • The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
     
• Ph.D. in Biochemistry
  • Goodman Cancer Centre, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
     
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
     
• Assistant Director for the Huck Institutes Center for Cellular Dynamics
   
• Coordinator/Supervisor for the Cell Biology Undergraduate Research Team. Read more about how we are creating opportunities for more undergraduates to get involved in research.

Department or University Committees

• Climate and Diversity Committee, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Centers

Research Summary

We use biochemical and live cell biosensor imaging approaches to study cellular energetics during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cancer cell motility through extracellular matrix and 3-D microfluidic environments. Altering the physical environment of cells through increased confinement can change the energetic demands involved in migration, and result in different activation and requirements for metabolic pathways. In cancer, the normal regulatory responses that control cell metabolism are often disrupted, so we are also interested in determining whether the migratory behavior of metastatic cancer cells results in increased susceptibility to therapies targeting metabolic pathways.

Teaching and Mentoring

Courses taught:

• BMB/MICRB 480 Cancer Development and Progression
   
• BMB/BIOL 430 Developmental Biology
   
• BMB 490/491 Undergraduate Research in Cellular Dynamics

Selected Publications

• E.S. Bell, P.P. Coelho, M. Park. LC3C mediates selective autophagy of the MET RTK, inhibiting cancer cell invasion. Autophagy. 2020. 16(5):959-961. 
   
• E.S. Bell, P.P. Coelho, C.D.H. Ratcliffe, C.V. Rajadurai, P. Peschard, R. Vaillancourt, D. Zuo, M. Park. LC3C-mediated autophagy selectively regulates the Met RTK and HGF-stimulated migration and invasion. Cell Reports. 2019. 29(12):4053-4068
   
• P.M. Davidson, G.R. Fedorchak, S. Mondésert-Deveraux, E.S. Bell, P. Isermann, D. Aubry, R. Allena, J. Lammerding. High-throughput microfluidic micropipette aspiration device to probe time-scale dependent nuclear mechanics in intact cells. Lab on a Chip. 2019. 19(21):3652-3663.
   
• H.S. Picariello, R.S. Kenchappa, V. Rai, J.F. Crish, A. Dovas, K. Pogoda, M. McMahon, E.S. Bell, U. Chandrasekharan, A. Luu, R. West, J. Lammerding, P. Canoll, D.J. Odde, P.A. Jamney, T. Egelhoff, and S.S. Rosenfeld. Myosin IIA suppresses glioblastoma development in a mechanically sensitive manner. PNAS. 2019. 116(31):15550-15559.
   
• A.H. Mekhdjian^†, F. Kai^†, M.G. Rubashkin^†, L.S. Prahl, L. M. Przybyla, A.L. McGregor, E.S. Bell, J.M. Barnes, C.C. DuFort, G.Ou, A.C. Chang, L. Cassereau, S.J. Tan, M.W. Pickup, J.N. Lakins, X. Ye, M.W. Davidson, J. Lammerding, D.J. Odde, A.R. Dunn, and V.M. Weaver. Integrin-mediated traction force enhances paxillin molecular associations and adhesion dynamics that increase the invasiveness of tumor cells into a three-dimensional extracellular matrix. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 2017. 28(11):1467-88.
   
• E.S. Bell, J. Lammerding. Causes and consequences of nuclear envelope alterations in tumour progression. European Journal of Cell Biology. 2016. 95(11):449-464.
   
• M.S. Ioannou, E.S. Bell, M. Girard, M. Chaineau, J.N.R. Hamlin, M. Daubaras, A. Monast, M. Park, L. Hodgson, P.S. McPherson. DENND2B activates Rab13 at the leading edge of migrating cells driving cancer cell metastasis. The Journal of Cell Biology. 2015. 208(5):629-48.
   
• A.Z. Lai, S. Cory, H. Zhao, M. Gigoux, A. Monast, M.C. Guiot, S. Huang, A. Tofigh, C. Thompson, M. Naujokas, V.A. Marcus, N. Bertos, B. Sehat, R.M. Perera, E.S. Bell, B.D. Page, P.T. Gunning, L.E. Ferri, M. Hallett, M. Park. Dynamic reprogramming of signaling upon Met inhibition reveals a mechanism of drug resistance in gastric cancer. Science Signaling, 2014. 7(322):ra38.
   
• E.S. Bell and M. Park. Models of Crk adaptor proteins in cancer. Genes and Cancer, 2012. 3(5-6):341-352.
   
• K.E. Fathers^†, E.S. Bell^†, C.V. Rajadurai, S. Cory, H. Zhao, A. Mourskaia, D. Zuo, J. Madore, A. Monast, A.M. Mes-Masson, A.A. Grosset, L. Gaboury, M. Hallett, P. Siegel, M. Park. Crk adaptor proteins act as key signaling integrators for breast tumorigenesis.  Breast Cancer Research, 2012. 14(3):R74