Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Dr. Gavin Robertson's research program focuses on malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. The central goal of his program is to unravel the biology and signaling pathways involved in melanoma tumor development in order to develop the next generation of therapeutic agents to treat this disease. Specifically, it involves identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets, discovery and development of new therapies and clinical evaluation of these drugs in patients.
Generally,the types of studies occurring the Robertson laboratory are:
Genetic and cell culture studies using animal and human models are used to identify and validate the involvement of candidate melanoma-causing genes. A recent example is the discovery of Akt3 involvement in approximately 70 percent of human melanomas.
Drug screens and medicinal chemistry are used to identify and develop new therapeutic agents. A recent example is the melanoma-treating drug ISC-4, which targets Akt3 signaling.
Nanotechnology and bioengineering are used to better deliver experimental agents into cancer cells. A recent example of this is the use of nanoliposomes and ultrasound that deliver therapeutic siRNA into melanoma cells.
Finally, agents are tested in the clinic for toxicity and tumor inhibitory efficacy. A recent example is a killed mycobacterium called CADI-5 that is being evaluated in clinical trials.
The ultimate goal of Dr. Robertson's translational research program is to develop better therapeutics for the treatment of melanoma based on the biology of the disease.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 6 Finished
-
Targeting Aldehyde Dehydrogenase for Cancer Prevention
Robertson, G. (PI), Amin, S. (CoPI) & Schell, T. (CoPI)
4/15/20 → 3/31/24
Project: Research project
-
-
Synergistically Acting Targeted Therapeutics for Melanoma
Robertson, G. (PI)
1/1/10 → 12/31/15
Project: Research project
-
Akt3 Signaling as a Therapeutic Target
Robertson, G. P. (PI) & Robertson, G. (CoPI)
12/17/07 → 11/30/13
Project: Research project
-
Targeted Chemoprevention Through Inhibition of Akt3 Signaling
Robertson, G. (PI)
9/1/07 → 8/31/10
Project: Research project
-
Emerging Role of the p53 Pathway in Modulating NK Cell–Mediated Immunity
Chen, Y. C., Bazewicz, C. G., Dinavahi, S. S., Huntington, N. D., Schell, T. D. & Robertson, G., Apr 1 2025, In: Molecular cancer therapeutics. 24, 4, p. 523-535 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
1 Scopus citations -
Managing telomerase and telomere dysfunction in acral melanoma
Bollu, V. S., Chen, Y. C., Zhang, F., Gowda, K., Amin, S., Sharma, A. K., Schell, T. D., Zhu, J. & Robertson, G. P., May 2025, In: Pharmacological Research. 215, 107700.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Modification of the telomerase gene with human regulatory sequences resets mouse telomeres to human length
Zhang, F., Cheng, D., Porter, K. I., Heck, E. A., Wang, S., Zhang, H., Davis, C. J., Robertson, G. P. & Zhu, J., Dec 2025, In: Nature communications. 16, 1, 1211.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations -
Identification of Novel Isatin Derivative Bearing a Nitrofuran Moiety as Potent Multi-Isoform Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Inhibitor
Gowda, K., Raza, A., Vangala, V., Lone, N. A., Lin, J. M., Singh, J. K., Srivastava, S. K., Schell, T. D., Robertson, G. P., Amin, S. & Sharma, A. K., Jul 2024, In: Molecules. 29, 13, 3114.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Scopus citations -
Pharmacological agents targeting drug-tolerant persister cells in cancer
Chen, Y. C., Gowda, K., Amin, S., Schell, T. D., Sharma, A. K. & Robertson, G. P., May 2024, In: Pharmacological Research. 203, 107163.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access3 Scopus citations