Faculty

Sally Camper, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Human Genetics
Professor of Internal Medicine

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Research Interests

Pituitary hormone deficiency diseases and adenomas are both common in humans. Many combined hormone deficiencies are caused by transcription factor defects. Lesions in the homeodomain transcription factor gene PROP1 are most prevalent cause of multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies, and defects in PITX2 cause Rieger syndrome, which can include growth hormone deficiency. We study Prop1, Pitx2, and other pituitary transcription factor genes using genetically engineered mice. We are also active in identification of genes involved in hearing and skeletal development.

Education

1977 B.S., University of Delaware (Chemistry)

1974-75 Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, W. Germany

1983 Ph.D., Michigan State University (Biochemistry)

Postgraduate Training

1983-1984 Research Associate, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Fritz Rottman

1984-1988 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, PA & Princeton University, Dr. Shirley Tilghman

Honors and Awards

1974 Federation of German American Clubs Scholarship

1976 Competitive Award for Research Presentation, Mid-Atlantic Regional

1977 Affirmative Action Grant

1984-1987 NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship

1989-1991 Basil O'Connor Starter Award

1992-1994 National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, Young Investigator Award

1995 Career Development Award, University of Michigan

1996 Faculty Recognition Award, University of Michigan

2000 Boezi Memorial Alumnus Award in Biochemistry, Michigan State University

2002 NIH Merit Award

2005 Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award in Biomedical Research, Universitiy of Michigan

2007 Roy O. Greep Award for Research Excellence from the Endocrine Society

Recent Publications

Raetzman, L.T., Ross, S.A., Cook, S., Dunwoodie, S.L., Camper, S.A.,. Thomas, P.Q. Developmental regulation of Notch signaling genes in the embryonic pituitary: Prop1 deficiency affects Notch 2 expression, Developmental Biology, 265-329-340, 2004. (featured on the cover)

Cha, K.D., Karolyi, I.J., Hunt, A., Wenglikowski, A.M., Wilkinson, J.E., Dolan, D.F., Dootz, G., Finnegan, A.A., Seasholtz, A.F., Hankenson, K., Siracusa, L.D., Camper, S.A. Skeletal dsyplasia and male infertility locus on mouse chromosome 9. Genomics. 83:951-60, 2004.

Nasonkin, I.O., Ward, R.I., Raetzman, L.T., Seasholtz, A.F., Saunders, T.L., Gillespie, P.J., Camper, S.A. Pituitary hypoplasia and respiratory distress syndrome in Prop1 knockout mice. Hum Mol Genet. 13:2727-35, 2004.

Ward, R.D., Raetzman, L.T., Suh, H., Stone, B.M., Nasonkin, I.O., Camper, S.A. Role of PROP1 in pituitary gland growth. Mol Endocrinol. 19:698-710, 2005.

Charles, M.A., Suh H., Hjalt, T.A., Drouin, J., Camper, S.A., Gage, P.J. PITX genes are required for cell survival and Lhx3 activation. Mol Endocrinol. 19:1893-903, 2005. (student award winner)

Vesper, A.H., Raetzman, L.T., Camper, S. A. Role of prophet of Pit1 (PROP1) in gonadotrope differentiation and puberty. Endocrinology. 147:1654-63, 2006.

Kanzaki, S., Beyer, L., Karolyi, I.J., Dolan, D.F., Fang, Q., Probst, F.J., Camper, S.A., Raphael, Y. Transgene correction maintains normal cochlear structure and function in 6-month-old Myo15a mutant mice. Hear Res. 214:37-44, 2006.

Ward, R.D., Stone, B.M., Raetzman, L.T., Camper, S. A. Cell Proliferation and Vascularization in Mouse Models of Pituary Hormone Deficiency. Mol Endocrinol. 2006, in press.

Charles, M.A., Saunders, T.L., Wood, W.M., Owens, K., Parlow, A.F., Camper, S.A., Ridgway, E.C., Gordon, D.F. Pituitary specific Gata2 knockout: Effects on gonadotrope and thyrotrope function. Mol Endocrinol. 2006, in press.

Ellsworth BS, Egashira N, Haller JL, Butts DL, Cocquet J, Clay CM, Osamura RY, Camper SA. FOXL2 in the pituitary: molecular, genetic, and developmental analysis. Mol Endocrinol. 2006 Nov;20(11):2796-805

Raetzman LT, Wheeler BS, Ross SA, Thomas PQ, Camper SA. Persistent expression of Notch2 delays gonadotrope differentiation. Mol Endocrinol. 2006 Nov;20(11):2898-908.

Raetzman LT, Cai JX, Camper SA. Hes1 is required for pituitary growth and melanotrope specification. Dev Biol. 2007 Apr 15;304(2):455-66.

Davis SW, Camper SA. Noggin regulates Bmp4 activity during pituitary induction. Dev Biol. 2007 May 1;305(1):145-60.

Ward RD, Davis SW, Cho M, Esposito C, Lyons RH, Cheng JF, Rubin EM, Rhodes SJ, Raetzman LT, Smith TP, Camper SA. Comparative genomics reveals functional transcriptional control sequences in the Prop1 gene. Mamm Genome. 2007 Jun 8; [Epub ahead of print]

Mustapha M, Beyer LA, Izumikawa M, Swiderski DL, Dolan DF, Raphael Y, Camper SA. Whirler Mutant Hair Cells Have Less Severe Pathology than Shaker 2 or Double Mutants.J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2007 Jul 6; [Epub ahead of print]

Lab Projects

Functional test of novel zebrafish pituitary development.
Homeobox genes in pituitary functions.
Cloning of skeletal dysplasia mutants.
Role of individual genes in development of normal hearing.

Additional Lab Links

Department of Human Genetics

Camper Lab Home Page

Cellular and Molecular Biology Program

Lab Members

Michelle (Roller) Brinkmeier, M.S., Health Science Research Associate II

Buffy S. Ellsworth, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Shannon W. Davis, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Qing Fang, Ph.D. Student in Human Genetics

Amanda Mortensen, B.S., Research Assistant

Luciani Carvalho, M.D., Ph.D., University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Postdoctoral Fellow

Mirna Mustapha, Ph.D., Pasteur Institute, Paris, France, Research Investigator

Nicola Solomon, Ph.D., University of Melbourne, Australia, Postdoctoral Fellow

Mary Anne Potok, B.S., Research Assistant