About Me:
I am an assistant professor at San Diego State University in the Department of Biology within the Cellular and Molecular Biology group, as part of the SDSU FUERTE/ NIH FIRST program. I am also a member of Moore's Cancer Center at UCSD, and instruct MBIO 600, Advanced Topics in Cellular Biology, a graduate seminar course.
My postdoctoral work was at the University of California, San Francisco with Jay Debnath, MD, an expert in autophagy. I applied animal and mammalian tissue culture models to understand how autophagy, a cellular stress pathway, in the tumor microenvironment contributes to solid tumor progression. My work was funded by the American Cancer Society, the Jean Perkins Foundation, and the UCSF IRACDA training program.
The Monkkonen Lab: My overarching research interest is to understand the molecular biology of breast cancer and the tumor microenvironment, with a cancer disparities focus. We will focus on the most aggressive types of breast cancers (i.e. triple negative and metastatic breast cancers), patient populations lacking targeted therapies, and the synergy of risk factors for disease with basic biology. I am very passionate about mentoring and educating the next generation of biologists, and championing diversity in biomedical research. Please get in touch if you are interested in collaboration!
Current openings:
I am hiring a research assistant III who will be acting lab manager and needs to have some solid wet lab experience, and interest in working in the lab for at least a year. If interested, please apply ASAP (I'm scheduling interviews) via this link. Please review the job requirements first!
Master's and PhD student interest: If you are interested in pursuing an advanced degree, it will be most useful to discuss after you have gained admission to a program prior to starting (i.e. late spring for interest for the fall). If you reach out, please include your CV/ resume and please tell me why you are interested in my group and how experience in my lab fits with your career goals.
At this time, I am unable to accommodate undergraduates prior to fall 2023, but may consider some shadowing/ volunteering especially if you are still earlier in your undergraduate studies.
Contact Info
tmonkkonen@sdsu.edu
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Twitter: @DrTMonkkonen
LinkedIn
ResearchGate
OrcID
I am an assistant professor at San Diego State University in the Department of Biology within the Cellular and Molecular Biology group, as part of the SDSU FUERTE/ NIH FIRST program. I am also a member of Moore's Cancer Center at UCSD, and instruct MBIO 600, Advanced Topics in Cellular Biology, a graduate seminar course.
My postdoctoral work was at the University of California, San Francisco with Jay Debnath, MD, an expert in autophagy. I applied animal and mammalian tissue culture models to understand how autophagy, a cellular stress pathway, in the tumor microenvironment contributes to solid tumor progression. My work was funded by the American Cancer Society, the Jean Perkins Foundation, and the UCSF IRACDA training program.
The Monkkonen Lab: My overarching research interest is to understand the molecular biology of breast cancer and the tumor microenvironment, with a cancer disparities focus. We will focus on the most aggressive types of breast cancers (i.e. triple negative and metastatic breast cancers), patient populations lacking targeted therapies, and the synergy of risk factors for disease with basic biology. I am very passionate about mentoring and educating the next generation of biologists, and championing diversity in biomedical research. Please get in touch if you are interested in collaboration!
Current openings:
I am hiring a research assistant III who will be acting lab manager and needs to have some solid wet lab experience, and interest in working in the lab for at least a year. If interested, please apply ASAP (I'm scheduling interviews) via this link. Please review the job requirements first!
Master's and PhD student interest: If you are interested in pursuing an advanced degree, it will be most useful to discuss after you have gained admission to a program prior to starting (i.e. late spring for interest for the fall). If you reach out, please include your CV/ resume and please tell me why you are interested in my group and how experience in my lab fits with your career goals.
At this time, I am unable to accommodate undergraduates prior to fall 2023, but may consider some shadowing/ volunteering especially if you are still earlier in your undergraduate studies.
Contact Info
tmonkkonen@sdsu.edu
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Twitter: @DrTMonkkonen
ResearchGate
OrcID
Publications
1. Rudnick JA*, Monkkonen T*, Mar FA, Barnes JM, Starobinets H, Goldsmith J, Roy S, Bustamente Eguiguren S, Weaver VM, and Debnath J. Autophagy in stromal fibroblasts promotes tumor desmoplasia and mammary tumorigenesis. Genes and Dev. 2021 Link PMID: 34168038 *co-first authors
2. Monkkonen, T; Traustadottir, G; and Koledova, Z. Unraveling the Breast: Advances in Mammary Biology and Cancer Methods. J. of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia. 2021 PMID: 33479879 Link
3. Leidal AM, Huang HH, Marsh T, Solvik T, Zhang D, Ye J, Kai F, Goldsmith J, Liu JY, Huang YS, Monkkonen T, Vlahakis A, Huang EA, Goodarzi H, Yu L, Wiita AP, and Debnath J (2020). The LC3-Conjugation Machinery Specifies the Loading of RNA-binding Proteins into Extracellular Vesicles. Nature Cell Biology Link
4. Ren YA, Monkkonen T, Lewis MT, Bernard DJ, Christian HC, Jorgez CJ, Moore JA, Landua JD, Chin HM, Chen W, Singh S, Kim IS, Zhang XH, MacKay H, Waterland RA, Ljungberg MC, Saha PK, Hartig SM, Fiordelisio Coll T, Richards JS (2019). S100A4-Cre-mediated deletion of Patched1 causes hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: role of pituitary hematopoietic cells in endocrine regulation. JCI Insight 2:5. Link PMID: 31265437
5. Monkkonen T, Landua JD, Visbal AP, and Lewis MT (2017). Epithelial and Non-Epithelial Patched-1 (Ptch1) Play Opposing Roles to Regulate Proliferation and Morphogenesis of the Mouse Mammary Gland. Development (144):1317-1327. Link PMID: 28275010
6. Monkkonen T, and Debnath, J (2017). Inflammatory Signaling Cascades and Autophagy in Cancer. Autophagy. Link PMID: 28813180
7. Monkkonen T, and Lewis MT (2017). New Paradigms for the Hedgehog Signaling Network in Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer. BBA Reviews on Cancer. 1868: 315-322. Link PMID: 28624497
8. Zhang, Y, Oetting WS, Harvey SB, Stone MD, Monkkonen T, Matas AJ, Cosio FG, Nelsestuen GL (2009). Urinary Peptide Patterns in Native Kidneys and Kidney Allografts. Transplantation 87 (12): 1807-183. Link PMID: 19543057
9. Harvey SB, Zhang Y, Wilson-Grady J, Monkkonen T, Nelsestuen GL, Kasthuri RS, Verneris MR, Lund TC, Ely EW, Bernard GR, Zeisler H, Homoncik M, Jilma B, Swan T, Kellogg TA (2008) O-Glycoside Biomarker of Apolipoprotein C3: Responsiveness to Obesity, Bariatric Surgery, and Therapy with Metformin, to Chronic or Severe Liver Disease and to Mortality in Severe Sepsis and Graft vs Host Disease. J Proteome Res 8 (2):603–612. Link PMID: 19055479
2. Monkkonen, T; Traustadottir, G; and Koledova, Z. Unraveling the Breast: Advances in Mammary Biology and Cancer Methods. J. of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia. 2021 PMID: 33479879 Link
3. Leidal AM, Huang HH, Marsh T, Solvik T, Zhang D, Ye J, Kai F, Goldsmith J, Liu JY, Huang YS, Monkkonen T, Vlahakis A, Huang EA, Goodarzi H, Yu L, Wiita AP, and Debnath J (2020). The LC3-Conjugation Machinery Specifies the Loading of RNA-binding Proteins into Extracellular Vesicles. Nature Cell Biology Link
4. Ren YA, Monkkonen T, Lewis MT, Bernard DJ, Christian HC, Jorgez CJ, Moore JA, Landua JD, Chin HM, Chen W, Singh S, Kim IS, Zhang XH, MacKay H, Waterland RA, Ljungberg MC, Saha PK, Hartig SM, Fiordelisio Coll T, Richards JS (2019). S100A4-Cre-mediated deletion of Patched1 causes hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: role of pituitary hematopoietic cells in endocrine regulation. JCI Insight 2:5. Link PMID: 31265437
5. Monkkonen T, Landua JD, Visbal AP, and Lewis MT (2017). Epithelial and Non-Epithelial Patched-1 (Ptch1) Play Opposing Roles to Regulate Proliferation and Morphogenesis of the Mouse Mammary Gland. Development (144):1317-1327. Link PMID: 28275010
6. Monkkonen T, and Debnath, J (2017). Inflammatory Signaling Cascades and Autophagy in Cancer. Autophagy. Link PMID: 28813180
7. Monkkonen T, and Lewis MT (2017). New Paradigms for the Hedgehog Signaling Network in Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer. BBA Reviews on Cancer. 1868: 315-322. Link PMID: 28624497
8. Zhang, Y, Oetting WS, Harvey SB, Stone MD, Monkkonen T, Matas AJ, Cosio FG, Nelsestuen GL (2009). Urinary Peptide Patterns in Native Kidneys and Kidney Allografts. Transplantation 87 (12): 1807-183. Link PMID: 19543057
9. Harvey SB, Zhang Y, Wilson-Grady J, Monkkonen T, Nelsestuen GL, Kasthuri RS, Verneris MR, Lund TC, Ely EW, Bernard GR, Zeisler H, Homoncik M, Jilma B, Swan T, Kellogg TA (2008) O-Glycoside Biomarker of Apolipoprotein C3: Responsiveness to Obesity, Bariatric Surgery, and Therapy with Metformin, to Chronic or Severe Liver Disease and to Mortality in Severe Sepsis and Graft vs Host Disease. J Proteome Res 8 (2):603–612. Link PMID: 19055479
Research Projects and Mentors
8/2016- present: Jayanta Debnath, MD (Chair and Associate Professor)
Dept. of Pathology
University of California, San Francisco
I investigated the role of autophagy in vascular development, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. I also worked on a project on autophagy in cancer-associated fibroblasts using a mammary tumor model.
2010-2016: Michael T. Lewis, PhD
Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology & Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
I studied the effects of conditional ablation of Patched 1 in the mammary epithelium, and in stromal cell types with respect to virgin mammary gland development. I also collaborated with JoAnne Richards, PhD and Yi Athena Ren, PhD at BCM to define stromal functions of Patched 1 in ovarian development and ovulation.
Dissertation title: Epithelial, Stromal, and Systemic Functions of Patched 1 in Mammary Gland Development.
2007-2008: Gary L. Nelsestuen, PhD
Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
I applied proteomic techniques (MALDI-TOF) to interrogate changes to plasma and urine proteomes of patients with different metabolic diseases.
2006-2007: James A. McNew, PhD
Dept. of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston TX
I completed a senior honors thesis studying C. elegans SNARE proteins and vesicle fusion using reconstituted liposomes.
Dept. of Pathology
University of California, San Francisco
I investigated the role of autophagy in vascular development, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. I also worked on a project on autophagy in cancer-associated fibroblasts using a mammary tumor model.
2010-2016: Michael T. Lewis, PhD
Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology & Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
I studied the effects of conditional ablation of Patched 1 in the mammary epithelium, and in stromal cell types with respect to virgin mammary gland development. I also collaborated with JoAnne Richards, PhD and Yi Athena Ren, PhD at BCM to define stromal functions of Patched 1 in ovarian development and ovulation.
Dissertation title: Epithelial, Stromal, and Systemic Functions of Patched 1 in Mammary Gland Development.
2007-2008: Gary L. Nelsestuen, PhD
Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
I applied proteomic techniques (MALDI-TOF) to interrogate changes to plasma and urine proteomes of patients with different metabolic diseases.
2006-2007: James A. McNew, PhD
Dept. of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston TX
I completed a senior honors thesis studying C. elegans SNARE proteins and vesicle fusion using reconstituted liposomes.
