Susan Keenan

Susan Keenan

Associate Professor and Director

  • Postdoctoral training: Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (2001-2006)
  • Ph.D.: Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, St. Louis University Medical School (1997-2001)
  • B.A.: Chemistry, University of Missouri, St. Louis (1994-1997)

Contact information

  • E-mail: susan.keenan@unco.edu
  • Phone: (970) 351-2510
  • Fax: (970) 351-2335
  • Office: Ross Hall 2480C
  • Office hours: by appointment

Courses Taught

  • BIO 425/525 Molecular Genetics

Course website: http://asstudents.unco.edu/faculty/skeenan

Research Interests and Professional Activities

My lab's research goals can be unified as Computational Approaches to Questions of Human Disease. We combine computational modeling tools with molecular biological and pharmacological approaches to address problems linking protein structure with small molecule activity. One focus of my research is the design of novel, small molecule drug compounds. Drug design can be approached using information gleaned from the structure of the drug target (structure based design), from information correlating small molecule activity and structure (ligand based design) or where possible, by simultaneously coupling both approaches. We are also interested in the induction of drug resistance in response to exposure to low levels of drug molecules. Currently we are actively involved in projects that focus on the identification of antimalarial and antiviral compounds.

Laboratory website: http://asstudents.unco.edu/students/keenanlab

Funding, Awards and Professional Honors

2006-2007 Rocky Mountain Region Center of Excellence Development Grant
2006-2009 CeMBR Research Grant
2003-2006 NRSA, NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship
2003-2005 American Heart Association, Postdoctoral Fellowship
2003-2006 UMDNJ Foundation Award
2003 Travel Award, National Institute for Drug Abuse

Recent Publications

  1. Zhang, Q, Keenan, SM, Nair, AC, Yu, SJ, Peng, Y, Howells, Welsh, WJ. Discovery of Novel Triazole-Based Opioid Receptor Antagonists Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 49(14):4044-4047, 2006
  2. Keenan, SM, Geyer, JA, Welsh, WJ, Prigge, ST, and Waters, NC. Rational Inhibitor Design and Iterative Screening in the Identification of Selective Plasmodial Cyclin Dependent Kinase Inhibitors. Combinatorial Chemistry and High Throughput Screening 8: 27-38, 2005
  3. Keenan SM, DeLisle, RK, Paula S, Ball WJ, and Welsh WJ. Elucidation of the Na+, K+-ATPase digitalis binding site Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling 23, 465-475, 2005
  4. Peng, Y, Keenan, SM, Zhang, Q, Kholodovych, V, and Welsh, WJ. 3D-QSAR Comparative Molecular Field Analysis on Opioid Receptor Antagonists: Pooling Data from Different Studies. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 48 (5), 1620-1629, 2005
  5. Peng, Y, Keenan, SM, Zhang, Q, and Welsh, WJ. Three-Dimensional Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (3D-QSAR) Studies for Opioid Receptor Agonists Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling 24, 25-33, 2005
  6. Peng, Y, Keenan, SM, and Welsh, WJ. Structural Model of the Plasmodium CDK, Pfmrk, a Novel Target for Malaria Therapeutics Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling 24, 72-80, 2005
  7. Nur-E-Kamal, A, Zhang, A, Keenan, SM, Seraj, J, Satoh, T, and Welsh, WJ. Requirement of Activated Cdc42-Associated Kinase (ACK) for Survival of v-Ras-Transformed Mammalian Cells. Molecular Cancer Research 3(5):297-305, 2005
  8. Keenan SM and Welsh, WJ. Characteristics of the Plasmodium falciparum PK5 ATP Binding Site: Implications for the Design of Novel Antimalarial Agents. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modeling 22; 241-247,2004
  9. Keenan SM, Lents NH, and Baldassare JJ. Expression of cyclin E renders cyclin D-CDK4 dispensable for inactivation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein, activation of E2F, and G1-S phase progression. Journal of Biology Chemistry 13;279(7):5387-96, 2004
  10. Paula S, Tabet MR, Keenan SM, Welsh WJ, and Ball, WJ.Jr. Three-Dimensional Structure-Activity Relationship Modeling of Cocaine Binding to two Monoclonal Antibodies by Comparative Molecular Field Analysis. Journal of Molecular Biology. 325(3):515-30, 2003
  11. Ball WJ, Farr C, Paula S; Keenan SM, DeLisle RK, and Welsh, WJ 3D Structure-Activity Relationship Modeling of Digoxin Inhibition and Docking to Na+,K+-ATPase. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. 896: 296, April, 2003
  12. Christoffers KH, Hong L, Keenan SM and Howells, RD. Purification and mass spectrometric analysis of the mu opioid receptor . Molecular Brain Research 118: 119-131, 2003
  13. Williams JB, Keenan SM, Gan Q, and Knuepfer, MM. Hemodynamic Response Profile Predicts Susceptibility to Cocaine-induced Toxicity. European Journal of Pharmacology, 464: 189-196, 2003
  14. Yu SJ, Keenan SM. Tong W, Welsh WJ. Influence of the Structural Diversity of Data Sets on the Statistical Quality of Three-Dimensional Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (3D-QSAR) Models: Predicting the Estrogenic Activity of Xenoestrogens. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 15(10):1229-34, 2002
  15. Lents NH, Keenan SM, Bellone CJ, Baldassare JJ. Stimulation of the Raf/MEK/ERK cascade is necessary and sufficient for activation and Thr-160 phosphorylation of a nuclear-targeted CDK2. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277(49): 47469-47475, 2002
  16. Lents NH, Keenan SM, Bellone CJ, Baldassare JJ. Activation and Phosphorylation on Thr-160 of a nuclear-targeted CDK2 is ERK-dependent. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 973:265-7, 2002
  17. Keenan SM and Baldassare, JJ. Molecular Scaffold Proteins: Organizing Cellular Responses. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 12(5): 184-6, 2001
  18. Keenan SM, Bellone C, and Baldassare, JJ. Cyclin-dependent Kinase 2 Nucleocytoplasmic Translocation is Regulated by Extracellular Regulated Kinase.Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276(25): 22404-9, 2001
  19. Tong W, Perkins R, Sterelitz R, Collantes ER, Keenan S, Welsh WJ, Branham, WS, Sheeham DM. Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships (QSARs) for Estrogen Binding to the Estrogen Receptor: Predictions Across Species. Environmental Health Perspectives 105(10): 1116-24, 1997

Patents

  • Compositions and Methods for the Discovery of Novel Na, K-ATPase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions (November 2002) William J. Welsh, Susan M. Keenan, Robert K. DeLisle and William J. Ball Jr.
  • Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Series of Novel Combrestatinin A-4 Analogues with Potent Cytotoxicity and Anti-Tubulin Polymerization Activities: Implications for Cancer Chemotherapy (Patent Pending) William J. Welsh, Susan M. Keenan, Youyi Peng, Xin Wang, Qiang Zhang
  • Activated Cdc42-associated kinase (ACK) as therapeutic target for Ras-induced. Alam Nur-E-Kamal, Ailing Zhang, William J. Welsh, Susan M. Keenan, Xin Wang
  • Discovery of Novel Delta-Opioid Receptor Selective Compounds as Clinically Significant Therapeutic Agents. William J. Welsh, Susan M. Keenan, Youyi Peng, Xin, Qiang Zhang
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