Aimin Peng, PhD

Byron H. and Mary V. Weeth Professor of Dental Research

Department of Oral Biology

Contact Information

Room 1443, UNMC College of Dentistry
4000 East Campus Loop South
Lincoln, NE 68583-0740
402-472-5903
aimin.peng@unmc.edu

Education

• BS, Biology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
• PhD, Molecular Medicine, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Teaching Responsibilities

• Course Instructor, Biochemistry for Dental Students (ORBI 545)
• Course Instructor, Advanced Oral Biology (OBIO 855)

Research Interests

Our research areas include cell cycle regulation and the DNA damage response (DDR). We are particularly interested in the connection between these pathways and human cancer, including cancer of oral cavity. Dysregulation of these pathways has been established as a causal factor in cancer progression, and therapeutic solutions to improve cancer treatment through manipulating the DDR or cell cycle machinery are dearly sought. It is, however, imperative to delineate the mechanistic basis of these pathways in order to fully translate these studies into clinical benefits. Our ongoing research efforts are directed to characterize new mechanisms that confer oral cancer resistance to radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and to develop new therapeutic strategies that potentially improve the treatment outcome of oral cancer.

Grants

• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, “Greatwall in replication stress/DNA damage responses and oral cancer resistance”, Principal Investigator, $1,800,000, 04/05/2021-03/31/2026.
• National Cancer Institute, “The novel role of microtubule regulators in the DNA damage response”, Principal Investigator, $1,700,000, 01/01/2021-12/31/2025.
• National Institute of General Medical Sciences/UNMC Buffett Cancer Center, “Greatwall kinase as a new therapeutic target for triple negative breast cancer” Principal Investigator, $50K, 02/01/2020-01/31/2021.
• Nebraska Research Initiative, “Phosphatase 1 nuclear targeting subunit in Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-mediated DNA repair and cancer therapy,” Principal Investigator, $112,500, 07/01/2018-06/30/2020.
• UNMC Pamela and Fred Buffett Cancer Center, “Characterization of Novel Small Cell Molecule Inhibitors of Greatwall Kinase for Cancer Research,” Principal Investigator, $37,500, 04/01/2018-03/31/2019.
• National Institute of Health, “DNA damage checkpoint recovery and cancer,” Principal Investigator, $1,540,000, 4/1/2013 - 3/31/2018.
• UNMC Pamela and Fred Buffett Cancer Center, “Protein phosphatases-dependent regulation of the cell cycle and DNA damage responses,” Principal Investigator, $50,000, 7/1/2015 - 6/30/2016.
• National Institute of Health, UNMC Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling, “Biochemical investigation of oxidative DNA damage responses,” Pilot project Principal Investigator, $50,000, 4/1/2014 - 6/30/2015.
• NIH/CoBRE,  UNMC Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling, “The functions and regulatory mechanisms of a specific protein phosphatase 1 complex in the DNA damage response and cancer progression,” Principal Investigator: Keith Johnson;  Project Leader: Aimin Peng; $375,000, 2010 - 2013.