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| Keith D. Amos, M.D.
Assistant Professor |  |
Research Interests
Throughout my clinical training, I have participated in multiple training experiences for basic science research. As a third-year medical student, I participated in the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Research Scholars Cloister Program at the NIH. I spent one year in Bethesda, Maryland as a research assistant in the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute. This work was under the direction of Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, NCI-Surgery Branch Chief, and Dr. Suzanne Topalian, NCI Senior Investigator. During this time, I studied tumor immunology and vaccine-based therapies for cancer. My specific project was to identify tumor-associated antigens for prostate cancer. The goal of the project was to identify peptide epitopes derived from Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) for use as basis for development of cancer vaccine for prostate cancer. Both PSA and PAP are over-expressed in prostate cancer. We believed these two proteins would serve as ideal targets in vaccine-based therapies for prostate cancer.
It was very beneficial to my education to spend a year in the research community of the NIH. I was able not only to participate in a research project but also to benefit from the broad educational environment in Bethesda. There were numerous lectures, symposia and a weekly dinner for program participants with well-known senior investigators.
After completing the Howard Hughes program, I decided to pursue a career in academic surgical oncology. I applied for residency training in general surgery and matched at Washington University of School of Medicine in St. Louis. At Wash U, it is customary for surgical residents to spend dedicated time away from clinical duties to perform research. Between my second and third year of clinical training, I spent two years with the tumor immunology research group as a post-doc supported on the Washington University T-32 training grant in surgical oncology. My project utilized skills and tools that I learned during my experience at the NIH. I was a post-doc in the laboratory of Dr. Timothy Eberlein. The goal of this project was to study the use of Mammaglobin-A as a tumor-associated antigen in breast cancer for the development of a breast cancer vaccine. Mammaglobin-A is a serine protease that is over-expressed in approximately 80% of breast cancers. During this time, I also wrote a grant application for additional funding for this project. I was awarded a $30,000 Resident Research Award from the Society of University Surgeons in 1999. In summary, this two year project resulted in a publication and in the identification of an antigenic epitope from Mammaglobin-A presently being tested in vivo in a mouse model.
After general surgery residency, I began training as a fellow in surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. During this three year fellowship, I spent one year as a post-doc in a cancer biology laboratory. After five years of clinical training away from the lab, I wanted to learn new techniques and experience a different area of cancer research. In this project, I studied the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. This work was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Craig Logsdon. We hypothesized that the dense stroma of a pancreatic tumor contributed to mutagenicity and resistance to chemotherapy. Our goal was to identify targets related to the tumor cell and stromal interaction that could be used to increase sensitivity to chemotherapy and decrease tumor metastasis.
After completing fellowship training in July 2007, I accepted a position as a junior faculty member at UNC. My clinical practice is general surgical oncology with specific interests in the areas of surgical treatments for breast cancer, melanoma and endocrine malignancies.
As a trainee, I have had multiple laboratory experiences in cancer research. However, my interests have turned to understanding and eliminating disparities in cancer care for minorities and underserved populations. Specifically, I am interested studying three areas of disparity in cancer care. I would like to study communication issues between physicians and minority patients. I want to learn about barriers to enrolling minorities and underserved in clinical trials for cancer. Finally, I am interested in studying the dissemination and availability of state of the art and standard of care procedures for cancer care in minority and underserved populations.
I believe that both my background and research interests in cancer care disparities are very important to both the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center and the citizens of the state of North Carolina. Most importantly, I have been exposed to research environments where I have had the resources and mentoring required for a successful scientific career. I would like to further develop my scientific career as a member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Recent Accomplishments and Honors
1992 USA TODAY All-USA College Academic First Team
1995-1996 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholar Cloister Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
1997 Harvard Medical School Multiculturalism Award
1997 James H. Robinson Memorial Prize in Surgery, sponsored by National Medical Fellowships
1999 Society of University Surgeons Resident Research Award
2001-2004 Washington University School of Medicine Department of Surgery Resident Teaching Award
2001,2006 American Association in Cancer Research Minority in Cancer Research Award
Training
Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA B.S. 1988-1992 Chemistry
Harvard Medical School - Boston, MA M.D. 1992-1997 Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine -
St. Louis, MO Residency 1997-2004 General Surgery
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, TX Fellowship 2004-2007 Surgical Oncology
Publications
1. Politzer IR, Crago KT, Amos KD, Benjamin W, Joseph J, Coleman WE: Effect of Beta-cyclodextrin on Mucochloric Acid and 3-Chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2-(5H)-furanone. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 1991; 20: 371-374.
2. Politzer IR, Crago KT, Amos KD, Joseph J, Coleman WE: Thin-Layer Chromatography of Laser Dyes and Dye Analogs with Cyclodextrins in the Mobile Phase. Talanta. 1992; 39: 953-958.
3. Tanaka Y, Amos KD, Joo HG, Goedegebuure PS, Eberlein TJ. Modification of the HER2/neu-derived tumor antigen GP2 improves induction of GP2-reactive cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. International Journal of Cancer. 2001; 94: 540-544.
4. Tanaka Y, Amos KD, Fleming TP, Eberlein, TJ, Goedegebuure PS. Mammaglobin-A is a tumor-associated antigen in human breast carcinoma. Surgery. 2003; 133: 74-80.
E-mail: keith_amos@med.unc.edu
Telephone: 966-5221
FAX: 966-8806
Address: 3010 Old Clinic Bldg. Chapel Hill, NC 27599
