Timothy Phoenix

Brain tumors are now the leading cause of cancer related deaths in children. Leveraging our expertise in developmental neurobiology, genomics, and tumor microenvironment interactions, projects in the Phoenix lab span multiple areas. These include 1) the development of novel animal models of pediatric brain tumors for preclinical studies; 2) defining mechanisms that regulate vascular and blood-brain barrier heterogeneity in pediatric brain tumors; 3) using our brain tumor modeling platform to investigate the function and mechanism of novel oncogenes identified in patient samples. 

BS: Syracuse University Syracuse, NY, 2002 (Biochemistry)

PhD: Albany Medical College Albany, NY, 2010 (Developmental Neuroscience)

2016 -2022 Assistant Professor., Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences., University of Cincinnati, College of Pharmacy., Cincinnati, OH

2002 -2004 Technical Research Associate., University of Rochester., Rochester, NY

2010 -2016 Postdoctoral Fellow, Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Richard Gilbertson at St. Jude., St. Jude Children's Research Hosptial, Memphis, TN

2022 - Associate Professor, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, College of Pharmacy, Cincinnati, OH

Investigators:Timothy Phoenix. 12-01-2016 -11-30-2017 UC Brain Tumor Center. Determining Mechanisms of Metastasis in Medulloblastoma Subgroups. Role:PI Completed Type:Grant Level:University

Investigators:Timothy Phoenix and Smruti Patel. 01-01-2017 -12-31-2017 UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute. Developing Novel Preclinical Models of Pediatric Brain Tumors. Role:Co-PI and Mentor Completed Type:Grant Level:University

Investigators:Timothy Phoenix 04-2017 -03-2019 UC/CCHMC CCTST Defining and Targeting Therapeutic Barriers in Brain Tumors Role:PI Completed Type:Grant

Grant: #W81XWH-18-1-0291 Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 08-15-2018 -08-14-2021 Department of Defense Career Development Award Defining and targeting the blood-brain barrier in pediatric gliomas Role:PI Active Type:Grant

Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 05-01-2019 -04-30-2020 The Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors Targeting Immune evasion in diffuse intrisic pontine glioma Role:PI Completed Type:Grant

Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 09-15-2019 -09-14-2022 Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Dissecting mechanisms that regulate DIPG blood-brain barrier integrity Role:PI Active Type:Grant

Grant: #R01CA255331 Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy; Sasaki, Atsuo; Sengupta, Soma; Takiar, Vinita 07-07-2021 -06-30-2026 National Cancer Institute Therapeutic resistance and aggressive malignancy in glioblastomas: the contribution of GTP metabolism through regulation by IMPDH2 Role:Collaborator 413481.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 10-30-2020 -10-30-2021 The Prayers From Maria Foundation Optimizing MDM2 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for PPM1D-mutant DIPGs Role:PI $ Active Type:Grant

Grant: #R01NS119827 Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 12-15-2021 -11-30-2026 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Regulation of Angpt1 and DIPG blood-brain barrier integrity by H3K27M mutations Role:PI 416259.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 07-01-2021 -06-30-2024 Michael Mosier Defeat DIPG Foundation MYC activation in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas Role:PI Active Type:Grant

Grant: #R61NS128232 Investigators:Desai, Pankaj; Gudelsky, Gary; Phoenix, Timothy; Plas, David; Rodenberg, Cynthia; Sengupta, Soma; Wise-Draper, Trisha 08-01-2022 -07-31-2025 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Translational Studies to facilitate Rational Therapeutic Combinations of Letrozole for the Treatment of Glioblastoma Role:Collaborator 389244.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 01-01-2023 -12-31-2023 Oligo Nation CREATION OF MURINE OLIGODENDROGLIOMA MODELS Role:PI 0.00 Hold Level:Non Profit

Grant: #OS00000695/401018 - NIH 1R01NS132884-01 Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 08-09-2023 -07-31-2028 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ATIC is a novel molecular target in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma Role:PI 34394.00 Hold Level:Federal

Grant: #GR-0010114-PO043523 (U01CA281823) Investigators:Phoenix, Timothy 09-07-2023 -08-31-2028 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Targeting tumor and T cell DNA methylomes to improve CAR T cell therapies for diffuse midline glioma Role:PI 243000.00 Hold Level:Non Profit

Peer Reviewed Publications

Phoenix TN, Patmore DM, Boop, S, Boulos N, Jacus MO, Patel YT, Roussel MF, Goumnerova L, Perreault S, Wadhwa E, Cho YJ, Roussel MF, Stewart CF, Gilbertson, RJ. (2016. ) Medulloblastoma genotype dictates blood brain barrier phenotype .Cancer Cell, , 29 (4 ) ,508-22

PubMed Link

Eden CJ, Ju B, Murugesan M, Phoenix TN, Nimmervoll B, Tong Y, Ellison DW, Finkelstein D, Wright K, Boulos N, Dapper J, Thiruvenkatam R, Lessman CA, Taylor MR, Gilbertson RJ. (2014. ) Orthotopic models of pediatric brain tumors in zebrafish. Oncogene, , 34 (13 ) ,1736-42

PubMed Link

Parker M, Mohankumar KM, Punchihewa C, Weinlich R, Dalton JD, Li Y, Lee R, Tatevossian RG, Phoenix TN, Thiruvenkatam R, White E, Tang B, Orisme W, Gupta K, Rusch M, Chen X, Li Y, Nagahawhatte P, Hedlund E, Finkelstein D, Wu G, Shurtleff S, Easton J, Boggs K, Yergeau D, Vadodaria B, Mulder HL, Becksfort J, Gupta P, Huether R, Ma J, Song G, Gajjar A, Merchant T, Boop F, Smith AA, Ding L, Lu C, Ochoa K, Zhao D, Fulton RS, Fulton LL, Mardis ER, Wilson RK, Downing JR, Green DR, Zhang J, Ellison DW, Gilbertson RJ. (2014. ) C11orf95-RELA fusions drive oncogenic NF-kB signalling in ependymoma .Nature, , 506 (7489 ) ,451-55

PubMed Link

Robinson G, Parker M, Kranenberg TA, Lu C, Chen X, Ding L, Phoenix TN, Hedlund E, Lei W, Zhu X, Chalhoub N, Baker SJ, Huether R, Wang J, Wu G, Rusch M, Hong X, Becksford J, Gupta P, Ma J, Easton J, Pounds S, Zhao D, Gajjar A, Kawauchi D, Roussel MF, Finkelstein D, Ellison DW, Fulton LL, Dooling DJ, Ochoa K, Mardis ER, Wilson RK, Downing JR, Zhang J, Gilbertson RJ. (2012. ) Novel Mutations Target Distinct Subgroups of Medulloblastoma .Nature, , 488 (7409 ) ,43-48

PubMed Link

Liddelow SA, Temple S, Møllgård K, Gehwolf R, Wagner A, Bauer H, Bauer HC, Phoenix TN, Dziegielewska KM, Saunders NR. (2012. ) Molecular Characterization of Transport Mechanisms at the Developing Mouse Blood-CSF Interface: a Transcriptome Approach .PLoS One, , 7 (3 ) ,e33554

PubMed Link

Atkinson JM, Shelat AA, Carcaboso AM, Kranenburg TA, Arnold LA, Boulos N, Wright K, Johnson RA, Poppleton H, Mohankumar KM, Féau C, Phoenix T, Gibson P, Zhu L, Tong Y, Eden C, Ellison DW, Priebe W, Koul D, Yung WK, Gajjar A, Stewart CF, Guy RK, Gilbertson RJ. (2011. ) An Integrated In Vitro and In Vivo High-Throughput Screen Identifies Treatment Leads for Ependymoma .Cancer Cell, , 20 (3 ) ,384-99

PubMed Link

Liddelow SA, Dziegielewska KM, Møllgård K, Phoenix TN, Temple S, Vandeberg JL, Saunders NR. (2011. ) SPARC/Osteonectin, an Endogenous Mechanism for Targeting Albumin to the Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Interface During Brain Development .European Journal of Neuroscience, , 34 (7 ) ,1062-73

PubMed Link

Phoenix TN, and Temple S. (2010. ) Spred1, a Negative Regulator of MAPK-ERK, is Enriched in CNS Germinal Zones, Dampens NSC Proliferation and Maintains Neuroepithelial Structure .Genes and Development, , 24 (1 ) ,45-56

PubMed Link

Fasano CA, Phoenix TN, Kokovay E, Lowry N, Elkabetz Y, Dimos J, Lemischka I, Studer L, Temple S. (2009. ) BMI-1 Regionally Maintains Neurogenic Stem Cells in the Forebrain .Genes and Development, , 23 (5 ) ,561-74

PubMed Link

Shen Q, Wang Y, Dimos JT, Fasano CA, Phoenix TN, Lemischka IR, Ivanova NB, Stifani S, Morrisey EE, and Temple S. (2006. ) The Timing of Cortical Neurogenesis is Encoded Within Lineages of Individual Progenitor Cells .Nature Neuroscience, , 9 (6 ) ,743-51

PubMed Link

Kawauchi D, Ogg RJ, Liu L, Shih DJH, Finkelstein D, Murphy BL, Rehg JE, Korshunov A, Calabrese C, Zindy F, Phoenix T, Kawaguchi Y, Gronych J, Gilbertson RJ, Lichter P, Gajjar A, Kool M, Northcott PA, Pfister SM, Roussel MF. (2017. ) Novel MYC-driven medulloblastoma models from multiple embryonic cerebellar cells .Oncogene, , (May 15 ) ,

Hu XL, Chen G, Zhang S, Zheng J, Wu J, Bai QR, Wang Y, Li J, Wang H, Feng H, Li J, Sun X, Xia Q, Yang F, Hang J, Qi C, Phoenix TN, Temple S, Shen Q. (2017. ) Persistent Expression of VCAM1 in Radial Glial Cells Is Required for the Embryonic Origin of Postnatal Neural Stem Cells .Neuron, , 95 (2 ) ,309

Carter RA, Bihannic L, Rosencrance C, Hadley JL, Tong Y, Phoenix TN, Natarajan S, Easton J, Northcott PA, Gawad C. (2018. ) A Single-Cell Transcriptional Atlas of the Developing Murine Cerebellum .Current Biology, ,

Hovestadt, H, Smith, KS, Bihannic, L, Filbin, M, Shaw, M, Baumgartner, A, DeWitt, JC, Groves, A, Mayr, L, Richman, L, Shore, ME, Goumnerova, L, Rosencrance, C, Carter, R, Phoenix TN, Hadley J, Tong, Y, DeCuypere, M, Orr. BA, Sharma, T, Ligon, KL, Pomeroy, SL, Rivera, MN, Rozenblatt-Rosen, M, Rusert, JM, Wechsler-Reya, R, Li, X, Peyrl, A, Gojo, J, Kirchhofer, D, Lötsch, D, Czech, Dorfer, TC, Haberler, C, Geyregger, R, Halfmann, A, Gawad, C, Easton, J, Pfister, SM, Regev, A, Gajjar, A, Slavc, I, Robinson, GW, Bernstein, BE#, Suvà, ML#, Northcott, PA# (2019. ) Resolving the cellular architecture of medulloblastoma by single-cell genomics .Nature, , 572 (7767 ) ,74

Meel MH, Guillén Navarro M, de Gooijer MC, Metselaar DS, Waranecki P, Breur M, Lagerweij T, Wedekind LE, Koster J, van de Wetering MD, Schouten-van Meeteren N, Aronica E, van Tellingen O, Bugiani M, Phoenix TN, Kaspers GJL, Hulleman E (2019. ) MEK/MELK inhibition and blood-brain barrier-deficiencies in atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors .Neuro-Oncology, , 11 (22 ) ,58

Patel SK, Hartley RM, Wei X, Furnish R, Escobar-Riquelme F, Bear H, Choi K, Fuller C, Phoenix TN (2020. ) Generation of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma mouse models by brainstem targeted in utero electroporation .Neuro-Oncology, , 5 (22 ) ,381

Meel MH, de Gooijer MC, Metselaar DS, Sewing ACP, Zwaan K, Waranecki P, Breur M, Buil LCM, Lagerweij T, Wedekind LE, Twisk JWR, Koster J, Hashizume R, Raabe EH, Montero Carcaboso Á, Bugiani M, Phoenix TN, van Tellingen O, van Vuurden DG, Kaspers GJL, Hulleman E (2020. ) Combined Therapy of AXL and HDAC Inhibition Reverses Mesenchymal Transition in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma .Clinical Cancer Research, ,

Miklja Z, Yadav VN, Cartaxo RT, Siada R, Thomas CC, Cummings JR, Mullan B, Stallard S, Paul A, Bruzek AK, Wierzbicki K, Yang T, Garcia T, Wolfe I, Leonard M, Robertson PL, Garton HJL, Wahl DR, Sarkaria JN, Kline C, Mueller S, Nicolaides T, Glasser C, Leary SES, Venneti S, Kumar-Sinha C, Chinnaiyan AM, Mody R, Pai MP, Phoenix TN, Marini BL, Koschmann C (2020. ) Everolimus improves the efficacy of dasatinib in PDGFRα-driven glioma .Journal of Clinical Investigation, ,

Senthil Kumar S, Sengupta S, Zhu X, Mishra DK, Phoenix T, Dyer L, Fuller C, Stevenson CB, DeWire M, Fouladi M, Drissi R (2020. ) Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma cells are vulnerable to mitotic abnormalities associated with BMI-1 modulation .Molecular Cancer Research, , Nov;18 (11 ) ,1711

Wei X, Jessa S, Kleinman C, Phoenix TN (2021. ) Mapping Angiopoietin1 expression in the developing and adult brain .Dev. Neurosci, , Jul 15. doi: 10.1159/000518351 (43(6) ) ,321-334. doi: 10.1159/000518351

Wei X, Meel MH, Breur M, Bugiani M, Hulleman E, Phoenix TN (2021. ) Defining tumor-associated vascular heterogeneity in pediatric high-grade and diffuse midline gliomas .Acta Neuropathol Commun, , Aug 23;9(1) ,142

Rao R, Han R, Ogurek S, Xue C, Wu LM, Zhang L, Zhang L, Hu J, Phoenix TN, Waggoner SN, Lu QR. (2022. ) Glioblastoma genetic drivers dictate the function of tumor-associated macrophages/microglia and responses to CSF1R inhibition .Neuro-Oncology, , (24(4) ) ,584-597. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noab228

Sweha SR, Chung C, Natarajan SK, Panwalkar P, Pun M, Ghali A, Bayliss J, Pratt D, Shankar A, Ravikumar V, Rao A, Cieslik M, Wilder-Romans K, Scott AJ, Wahl DR, Jessa S, Kleinman CL, Jabado N, Mackay A, Jones C, Martinez D, Santi M, Judkins AR, Yadav VN, Qin T, Phoenix TN, Koschmann CJ, Baker SJ, Chinnaiyan AM, Venneti S. (2022. ) Epigenetically defined therapeutic targeting in H3.3G34R/V high-grade gliomas .Science Translational Medicine, , 13(615) ,doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abf7860

Khadka P, Reitman ZJ, Lu S, Buchan G, Gionet G, Dubois F, Carvalho DM, Shih J, Zhang S, Greenwald NF, Zack T, Shapira O, Pelton K, Hartley R, Bear H, Georgis Y, Jarmale S, Melanson R, Bonanno K, Schoolcraft K, Miller PG, Condurat AL, Gonzalez EM, Qian K, Morin E, Langhnoja J, Lupien LE, Rendo V, Digiacomo J, Wang D, Zhou K, Kumbhani R, Guerra Garcia ME, Sinai CE, Becker S, Schneider R, Vogelzang J, Krug K, Goodale A, Abid T, Kalani Z, Piccioni F, Beroukhim R, Persky NS, Root DE, Carcaboso AM, Ebert BL, Fuller C, Babur O, Kieran MW, Jones C, Keshishian H, Ligon KL, Carr SA, Phoenix TN*, Bandopadhayay P.* (2022. ) PPM1D mutations are oncogenic drivers of de novo diffuse midline glioma formation .Nature Communications, , 13(1) ,604. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28198-8

Martin M, Vermeiren S, Bostaille N, Eubelen M, Spitzer D, Vermeersch M, Profaci CP, Pozuelo E, Toussay X, Raman-Nair J, Tebabi P, America M, De Groote A, Sanderson LE, Cabochette P, Germano RFV, Torres D, Boutry S, de Kerchove d'Exaerde A, Bellefroid EJ, Phoenix TN, Devraj K, Lacoste B, Daneman R, Liebner S, Vanhollebeke B. (2022. ) Engineered Wnt ligands enable blood-brain barrier repair in neurological disorders .Science, , 375(6582) ,4459. doi: 10.1126/science.abm4459

du Chatinier A, Meel MH, Das AI, Metselaar DS, Waranecki P, Bugiani M, Breur M, Simonds EF, Lu ED, Weiss WA, Garcia Vallejo JJ, Hoving EW, Phoenix TN*, Hulleman E.* (2022. ) Generation of immunocompetent syngeneic allograft mouse models for pediatric diffuse midline glioma .Neuro-Oncology Advances, , 4(1) , doi: 10.1093/noajnl/vdac079

Tsai JW, Cejas P, Wang DK, Patel S, Wu DW, Arounleut P, Wei X, Zhou N, Syamala S, Dubois FPB, Crane A, Pelton K, Vogelzang J, Sousa C, Baguette A, Chen X, Condurat AL, Dixon-Clarke SE, Zhou KN, Lu SD, Gonzalez EM, Chacon MS, Digiacomo JJ, Kumbhani R, Novikov D, Hunter J, Tsoli M, Ziegler DS, Dirksen U, Jäger N, Balasubramanian GP, Kramm CM, Nathrath M, Bielack S, Baker SJ, Zhang J, McFarland JM, Getz G, Aguet F, Jabado N, Witt O, Pfister SM, Ligon KL, Hovestadt V, Kleinman CL, Long H, Jones DTW*, Bandopadhayay P*, Phoenix TN.* (2022. ) FOXR2 is an epigenetically regulated pan-cancer oncogene that activates ETS transcriptional circuits .Cancer Research, , doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-22-0671

Invited Publications

Phoenix TN. and Gilbertson RJ. (2012. ) There’s a time and a place for N-Myc. Cancer Cell., 21 (5 ) ,593-95

PubMed Link

Phoenix TN, Currle S, Robinson G, Gilbertson RJ. (2012. ) Developmental Origins of Neural Tumors: Old Ideas, New Approaches. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology., 38 (3 ) ,222-27

PubMed Link

Phoenix, TN, and Temple S. (2009. ) Baby Got Brain: Fgf10 Sets Rostral Cortical Size. Neuron., 63 (1 ) ,1-3

PubMed Link

Book Chapter

Sengupta S, Pater LE, Krummel DP, Aronow BJ, Hirota Y, Phoenix TN, Sasaki AT (2021 ) Integration of Molecular Analysis, Cutting-edge Mouse Genetic Models and Proton Therapy to Improve Outcomes for Glioma Patients Gliomas .(pp. Chapter 5).Brisbane (AU), Exon Publications

Invited Presentations

Timothy Phoenix, Deanna Patmore, Scott Boop, Megan Jacus, Yogesh Patel, Liliana Goumnerova, Sebastien Perreault, Elizabeth Wadhwa, Yoon-Jae Cho, Clinton Stewart, and Richard Gilbertson. (2015. ) Medulloblastoma subtypes specify inter-tumoral vascular blood brain barrier heterogeneity. Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Basic and Translational Research Conference, San Diego, CA.

Timothy Phoenix, Deanna Patmore, Scott Boop, Megan Jacus, Yogesh Patel, Liliana Goumnerova, Sebastien Perreault, Elizabeth Wadhwa, Yoon-Jae Cho, Clinton Stewart, and Richard Gilbertson. (2014. ) Medulloblastoma subtypes specify inter-tumoral vascular blood brain barrier heterogeneity .International Society for Pediatric Neuro-oncology, Singapore.

Poster Presentations

Timothy Phoenix, Deanna Patmore, Scott Boop, Megan Jacus, Yogesh Patel, Liliana Goumnerova, Sebastien Perreault, Elizabeth Wadhwa, Yoon-Jae Cho, Clinton Stewart, and Richard Gilbertson. (2016. ) Medulloblastoma genotype dictates blood brain barrier phenotype .Sohn Conference: Pediatric Cancer in a Post-Genomic World, New York, NY. .

Timothy N. Phoenix and Sally Temple (2009. ) Spred1, a negative regulator of MAPK-ERK, is enriched in CNS germinal zones, dampens NSC proliferation and maintains neuroepithelial structure .International Society for Stem Cell Research Meeting, Barcelona, Spain. .

Timothy N. Phoenix and Sally Temple. (2009. ) Spred1, a negative regulator of MAPK-ERK, is enriched in CNS germinal zones, dampens NSC proliferation and maintains neuroepithelial structure .NIH Graduate Student Research Festival, Bethesda, MD. .

2010-2016 Postdoctoral Fellow., My postdoctoral work focused on understanding how genetic alterations dictate differences in brain tumor subgroup biology and treatment response. , St. Jude Children's Research Hospital., , Memphis, TN

Research - Phoenix Lab
231 Albert Sabin Way
Cincinnati  Ohio, 45267
Phone: 513-558-7749