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Faculty Detail    
Name HOPE M AMM
Assistant Professor		  
Campus Address SDB 702 Zip 0007
Phone  (205) 934-5405
E-mail  hopeamm@uab.edu
Other websites
     


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery  Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Assistant Professor
Secondary  Otolaryngology Chair Office  Otolaryngology Chair Office Assistant Professor
Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Assistant Professor
Center  GL Ctr for Craniofacial, Oral, & Dental Disorders  GL Ctr for Craniofacial, Oral, & Dental Disorders Assistant Professor
Center  UWIRC Microbiome Center  UWIRC Microbiome Center Assistant Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations
Cancer Biology 

Biographical Sketch 
Dr. Amm received her BS in Biological Sciences from Saint Mary’s College and Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from UAB with a focus on cancer biology and novel therapeutics. Dr. Amm completed the Dental Academic Research Training (DART) program as a post-doctoral scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Mary MacDougall and was a Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction, and Teaching (MERIT) program Scholar-at-Large, which provided teaching experiences at a minority-partner institution. During her postdoctoral studies, she has collaborated on projects related to the genetic and molecular basis of craniofacial diseases, particularly odontogenic tumors. She has characterized numerous cellular models of odontogenic tumors and developed new in vivo models. In March 2017, she joined the faculty the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at UAB. Her work has been funded by the Department of Defense, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation, and NIDCR. Her current research focuses on genetics and signaling pathways that play a role in the pathogenesis of human oral cancers and odontogenic tumors with a goal to develop targeted therapies and diagnostic tools.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American Association of Cancer Research  Member  http://www.aacr.org/Pages/Home.aspx 
American Association of Dental Research  Member  http://www.iadr.org/AADR 
International Association of Dental Research  Member  http://www.iadr.org/ 
 



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Genetics and Pharmacology of Oral Tumors
Description
Dr. Amm’s long term research interest is understanding the molecular abnormalities present in human oral cancers and tumors as a fundamental step in advancing their prevention and treatment. The group conducts translational research to elucidate the cellular signaling that occurs within oral tumors and cancers to facilitate the development of targeted therapies. One focus in on the role of developmental pathways in tumorigenesis and how they can be exploited to provide therapies. Currently we are determining if a particular polymorphism in PTCH1 leads to ligand-independent hedgehog activity and initiates tumorigenesis, and targeting aberrant hedgehog signaling for the treatment of odontogenic tumors. Another project aims to improve the ability to image cancer within the bone microenvironment using targeted antibodies.

Keywords
oral cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, HNSCC, genetics, hedgehog siganling, pharmacology