Pathology Grand Rounds: ““Epigenetic Fixes for Brain Cancer”

Dr. Alea A. Mills is a Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a non-profit research institute on the north shore of Long Island in New York. Her research is focused on understanding the genetic and epigenetic basis of diseases such as cancer, autism, and other human syndromes. Initially from Hamilton, New York, Dr. Mills earned a Bachelor of Science from San Jose State University in California, and later a Ph.D. from the School of Medicine at University of California, Irvine, where she worked on the childhood cancer Wilms’ tumor. Mills then became a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Associate at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. At Baylor/HHMI, Dr. Mills advanced chromosome engineering technology—an approach that enables the creation of ‘designer’ mice that carry chromosome aberrations found in human disease. In parallel, Mills made the seminal discovery of the p53-related gene p63, revealing p63’s essential role in mammalian development and in morphogenesis of stratified epithelia; indeed, mutation of the p63 gene causes seven different human syndromes where children are born with birth defects including cleft palate, abnormalities of the hands and feet, and other deformities. In 2001, Dr. Mills was recruited to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where she resides as full Professor. Major breakthroughs of Mills’ research include: 1) discovering a link between p63 and aging; 2) determining that some p63 proteins cause cancer, whereas other p63 proteins prevent it; 3) discovering CHD5, a tumor-preventing protein that when lost, leads to many kinds of human cancer; 4) revealing genetic causes of autism and schizophrenia; and 5) discovering BRD8 as a new epigenetic vulnerability of glioblastoma. Dr. Mills’ research program has been supported by the National Cancer Institute, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Simons Foundation, Northwell Health, and the Darlene Carbone Brain Tumor Foundation. Dr. Mills is recipient of the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award and the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Faculty Award. Dr. Mills is nationally and internationally recognized, having served on review panels for the National Cancer Institute and as Chair of scientific review panels for the European Research Commission.