Dr. Stoletov received his Ph.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2003) in the field of Pathology under the direction of the late Dr. Bruce Terman who discovered the VEGF receptor (VEGFR).  Dr. Stoletov's graduate research focused on elucidating the molecular signaling pathways that operate downstream of the VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase.  He was the first one to show that there are Crk and Nck represent two distinct molecular pathways that control VEGFR-induced endothelial cell attachment and migration.  He found that Nck is involved in VEGF-induced, focal adhesion turnover while Crk controls VEGFR-induced activation of adhesion receptors. These important results were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (2001). He followed these findings with a set of outstanding biochemical studies where he performed in depth mapping of Nck and Crk signaling networks that control endothelial function.  This work resulted in several publications in high-ranking journals including Oncogene (2002), FASEB Journal (2002), Biochemical Biophysical Research Communication (2004) and Experimental Cell Research (2004).

In 2003, Dr. Stoletov joined the Klemke laboratory as a postdoctoral associate where he has developed into an exceptional cancer biologist with an expertise in high resolution, intravital multi-photon confocal imaging, and quantitative 3-D image analysis.  He has extensive experience in the use of live animal models to monitor tumor formation and metastasis.  This includes a new zebrafish xenograft model of cancer progression that he developed while in my lab as well as the common Chick CAM and nude mouse assays.  He is also an excellent molecular biologist and is currently using his skills to generate various fluorescent transgenic fish lines that report changes in vasculature functions.

Dr. Stoletov’s overall research interests are in understanding the signaling mechanisms that facilitate cancer progression and tumor-induced angiogenesis. He is particularly interested in how vascular remodeling processes contribute to cancer cell dissemination.  He is also interested in understanding the signaling mechanisms that govern cancer cell invasion of the extracellular matrix and intravasation through the vessel wall.  His most recent work has focused on determining how the metastatic gene, RhoC, promotes tumor cell intravasation and metastasis. He has shown that RhoC mediates cell intravasation by inducing the formation of specialized invadapodial structures that are capable of penetrating the disrupted vascular wall of remodeling vessels.  In addition, he has shown that RhoC works cooperatively with the angiogenic and vascular permeabilization growth factor, VEGF, to promote cell intravasation and dissemination.  Interestingly, VEGF secretion by the tumor cells was found to induce vascular openings which provide portholes for RhoC cells to intravasate through the vessel wall.  This work was recently published in the high ranking journal PNAS and was reviewed by Faculty of 1000 where it received a 6.0 score and a must read rating.
 
Dr. Stoletov’s work in cancer biology has been well-regarded by his peers and he has won numerous awards including a fellowship from the California Breast Cancer Research Program. This award is extremely competitive, and reflects both the quality and importance of Dr. Stoletov's research.  Dr. Stoletov and his work have also been honored at several international meetings.  He received the AACR Scholar in Training Award while attending the 2005 AACR annual meeting and he was awarded the Cornelius Hopper Award in association with the Annual California Breast Cancer Meeting in 2005.  In 2006, Dr. Stoletov was awarded second prize among postdoctoral fellows at the Scripps Research Institute Annual Research Symposium.  In 2007 his work was selected as one of the ten novel and newsworthy presentations at the ASCB annual meeting.  His work was graded as highly recommended by North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO). Dr. Stoletov`s work was also selected two times for oral presentations at the AACR annual meetings (2005 and 2008).  Finally, Dr. Stoletov has been awarded the AACR-Merck Scholar in Training Award which will be presented at the upcoming 2008 meeting.