Education

1985-1988 Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Biology; Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
1982-1985 Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Biology and Immunology; Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
1982 PhD, General & Tumor Immunology, High Honors; Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
1977 BS, Biology, High Honors; Science Faculty, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

Research Interests

My current research interests are on the mechanisms involved in tumor inflammation and tumor colonization in the brain, and their regulation by lipid metabolism, specifically:

1. Discovery and characterization of lipid- based approaches for targeted therapy in breast cancer such as specific inhibitors for monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) and N-acylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA).
2. The neurovascular unit (NVU) functions and brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and their modulation by triple negative breast cancer cells, following tumor cell extravasation to the brain.
3. The identification of cancer drivers responsible for breast cancer growth originated from the tumor cells and the tumor niches.

Honors

2008 – 2009, National Blood Foundation, USA
2003 – 2005, K18 Career Enhancement Award for stem cells studies, NIH, USA
1999 – 2002, Established Investigator Award American Heart Association, National American Heart Association
2000 – 2001, Experienced Breast Cancer Research Award, Dept. of Health, MA
1991, Milton Fund Award, Harvard Medical School

Selected Publications

Avraham, S., S. Jiang, L. Wang, Y. Fu, H.K. Avraham, (2013), VEGF-mediated Effects on Brain Microvascular Endothelial Tight Junctions and Transmigration of Breast Cancer Cells across the Blood-Brain Barrier, in Tight Junctions in Cancer Metastasis (Cancer Metastasis – Biology and Treatment), T.A. Martin and W.G. Jiang, Editors. Springer: NY., 247-261.

H. K. Avraham, S. Jiang, Y. Fu, H. Nakshatri, H. Ovadia, S. Avraham, (2014), Angiopoietin-2 mediates blood-brain barrier impairment and colonization of triple-negative breast cancer cells in brain.J. Pathol., 232(3), 369-381. PMID: 24421076

Avraham, H. K., S. Jiang, Y. Fu, E. Rockenstein, A. Makriyannis, A. Zvonok, E. Masliah, S. Avraham, (2014), The cannabinoid CB₂ receptor agonist AM1241 enhances neurogenesis in GFAP/Gp120 transgenic mice displaying deficits in neurogenesis.Br. J. Pharmacol., 171(2), 468-479. PMID: 24148086 PMCID: PMC3904265

Rodriguez, P.L., S. Jiang, Y. Fu, S. Avraham, H.K. Avraham, (2014), The proinflammatory peptide substance P promotes blood-brain barrier breaching by breast cancer cells through changes in microvascular endothelial cell tight junctions.Int. J. Cancer, 134(5),1034-1044. PMID: 23934616

Avraham, H.K., S. Jiang, Y. Fu, E. Rockenstein, A. Makriyannis, J. Wood, L. Wang, E. Masliah, S. Avraham, (2015), Impaired Neurogenesis by HIV-1-Gp120 is Rescued by genetic deletion of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Enzyme.Br. J. Pharmacol., 172(19), 4603-14. PMID: 24571443PMCID: PMC4594266