Spotlight on new faculty – Rene Opavsky, Ph.D.

Rene Opavsky, Ph.D.

Rene Opavsky, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Eppley Institute, is one of the many new faculty members at UNMC.

Name: Rene Opavsky, Ph.D.

Title: Assistant professor in the Eppley Institute

Research interests: Dr. Opavsky’s research focuses on understanding the role of aberrant DNA methylation in development of hematological malignancies. The long-term goal of the laboratory is to get a mechanistic insight into collaborative events governing normal and cancer-specific epigenetic silencing and assess a potential for therapeutic targeting of molecular players involved in this process. The lab’s other major area of focus lies in understanding of the role of p16-Rb-E2f pathway in development of leukemia and lymphoma.

Degree: Ph.D., Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 1997

Previous positions:

• 1997-2001 — Postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Leukemogenesis Section, National Cancer Institute (National Institutes of Health), Bethesda, Md.
  
• 2001-2008 — Postdoctoral fellow, division of human cancer genetics, The Ohio State University

All UNMC departments are encouraged to send information on new faculty members to UNMC Today at today@unmc.edu. Using the above format, please include the person’s title, specialty, previous position(s), doctoral degree, residency, fellowships and memberships. Also include their clinic hours and a phone number for patients interested in making an appointment. Faculty photos are welcome.