Research Associate, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University 2009-2010

Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University 2006-2009

Ph.D. Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego 2005

M.S. Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego 2002

B.S. Biochemistry, University of Washington 1998

Research Areas: Design of allosteric inhibitor compounds targeting kinase activation and signaling
Opportunities for Collaboration:  Kinase signaling and disease

25th Annual American Peptide Symposium, 2017
Invited Speaker, Whistler, Canada

9th International Meeting on Protein Kinases, 2017
Invited Speaker, Warsaw, Poland

Pharmacology 2017 and British Pharmacological Society, 2017

Invited Speaker, London, England

US PATENT 9,458,189

“Ligation of stapled polypeptides,” Issued Oct. 2017

GRC on Phosphorylation and G-Protein Mediated Signaling Networks, 2016
Session Chair and Invited Speaker, Biddeford, ME

5th International Meeting on Anchored cAMP Signaling, 2016
Invited Speaker, Zermatt, Switzerland

Experimental Biology 2016, 2016
Invited Speaker, San Diego, CA

13th Annual Biochemistry Retreat for Universitat Kassel, 2016
Invited Speaker, Wesendorf, Germany

ASBMB Special Symposia on Kinases and Pseudokinases, 2015
Invited Speaker, San Diego, CA

4th International Workshop on cAMP signaling, PKA and phosphodiesterases, 2015
Invited Speaker, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

American Peptide Society, 2015-2017
Elected Member, Nominating Committee

24th Annual American Peptide Symposium, 2015
Invited Session Chair, Orlando, FL

Drug Discovery and Therapy World Congress, 2015
Invited Speaker, Boston, MA

Universitat Kassel’s 12th Annual Biochemistry Retreat, 2015
Keynote Speaker, Wesendorf, Germany

8th International Meeting on Protein Kinases, 2014
Invited Speaker, Warsaw, Poland

EMBO’s Chemical Biology Conference, 2014
Invited Speaker, Heidelberg, Germany

6th International Peptide Symposium/23rd American Peptide Symposium Joint Conference, 2013
Invited Session Chair Waikoloa, HI

Office of the Provost, University of Georgia, 2013
Faculty Summer Research Support for Outstanding Scientists

4th International Meeting on Anchored cAMP Signaling Complexes, 2013
Invited Speaker, Denver, CO

Meeting on Cyclic Nucleotide Signaling in Malaria, 2013
Invited Speaker, CNRS, Paris, France

ASPET Session on “Building a Research Career in Pharmacology,” EB 2012
Invited Speaker, San Diego, CA

Gordon Research Conference in Bioorganic Chemistry, 2011
Discussion Leader for session entitled “Design and Engineering in Biological Systems”

Experimental Biology Sponsored by FASEB, 2011
FASEB MARC Program Travel Award Sponsored by ASPET, Washington, D.C.

Chemistry in Cancer Research: A Vital Partnership (AACR-ACS Joint Conference), 2009
Scholar-In-Training Award, New Orleans, LA

American Cancer Society Fellow (ACS), 2006-2009
Postdoctoral Fellowship

Chemistry in Cancer Research: A Vital Partnership (AACR-ACS Joint Conference), 2007
Scholar-In-Training Award, Awarded by Abbott Laboratories, San Diego, CA

American Heart Association Fellow (AHA), 2003-2005
Predoctoral Fellowship

American Peptide Society (APS), Member

American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), Member

American Association of Colleges of Phamacy (AACP), Member

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Member

Frontiers in Pharmacology, Review Editor for Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery

UGA Cancer Center Executive Committee, Member

Center for Chemical Biology, UGA, Executive Committee Member

UGA Center for Drug Discovery, Member

UGA Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, Member

UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, Member

The protein kinase superfamily comprises one of the largest gene families encoded in the human genome.  A comprehensive understanding of kinase activity under normal and disease states is critical in order to identify targets for disease intervention.  However, studying kinase signaling is inherently challenging since there are more than 500 kinases in the human genome, and as a result, there is significant crosstalk among multiple kinases for phosphorylation targets.  Additionally, multiple isoforms exist for many kinases, thereby making it nearly impossible to address the question using genetic knockdowns/knockouts since other genes will compensate with altered expression levels.

To address this question, the Kennedy lab is developing novel chemical biology strategies to synthetically disrupt protein:protein interactions (PPIs) using chemically stabilized peptides.  This methodology allows for the development of investigative tools that can be applied to elegantly and selectively manipulate protein-protein interactions that are involved in signaling pathways within a cellular environment.  The long-term goal of the lab is to develop synthetic biologics that can be used to probe cell signaling events that are mediated by kinases.  By inhibiting specific protein:protein interactions within a cellular environment, cancer-related cell signaling events can be studied in a temporal manner and highlight new strategies for therapeutic intervention.  They are applying this strategy to study the AGC family of kinases as well as EGFR in breast and lung cancer models.

Haidar M, de Laté PL, Kennedy EJ, Langsley G. (2017) “Cell penetrating peptides to dissect host-pathogen protein-protein interactions in Theileria-transformed leukocytes.” Bioorg. Med. Chem., pii: S0968-0896(17)31317-2. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.08.056 (PMID: 28917447) (IF2016=2.93)

Fulton MD, Hanold LE, Ruan Z, Patel S, Beedle AM, Kannan N, Kennedy EJ*. (2017) “Conformationally constrained peptides target the allosteric kinase dimer interface and inhibit EGFR activation.” Bioorg. Med. Chem., pii: S0968-0896(17)31467-0. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.08.051 (PMID: 28911855) (IF2016=2.93)

Haidar M, Ramdani G, Kennedy EJ, Langsley G. (2017) “PKA and Apicomplexan Parasite Diseases.” Horm Metab Res. 49(4):296-300. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-118459 (PMID: 27835919) (IF2016=2.27)

Haidar M, Lombes A, Bouillaud F, Kennedy EJ, Langsley G. (2017) “HK2 recruitment to phospho-BAD prevents its degradation promoting Warburg glycolysis by Theileria-transformed leukocytes, ACS Infectious Diseases, 3(3):216-224, DOI 10.1021/acsinfecdis.6b00180 (PMID: 28086019) (IF2016=3.60)

Hanold LE, Fulton MD, Kennedy EJ*. (2017) “Targeting kinase signaling pathways with constrained peptide scaffolds.” Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 173: 159-170, DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.02.014 (PMID: 28185915) (IF2016=11.13)

Mo GC, Ross B, Hertel F, Manna P, Yang X, Greenwald E, Booth C, Plummer AM, Tenner B, Chen Z, Wang Y, Kennedy EJ, Cole PA, Fleming KG, Palmer A, Jimenez R, Xiao J, Dedecker P, Zhang J. (2017) “Genetically-encoded biosensors for visualizing live-cell biochemical activity at superresolution.” Nature Methods, 14(4): 427-434, DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4221 (PMID: 28288122) (IF2016=25.06)

Cowell JK*, Teng Y, Bendzunas NG, Ara R, Arbab AS, Kennedy EJ.* (2017) “Suppression of breast cancer metastasis using stapled peptides targeting the WASF regulatory complex.” Cancer Growth and Metastasis, DOI 10.1177/1179064417713197 (PMID 28680267) (IF2016=4.58)

Egan JB, . . . , Kennedy EJ, Klee EW, Borad MJ, Fernandez-Zapico ME. (2017) “Functional analysis of exome sequencing-derived variants identifies a novel constitutively active FGFR2 mutant in cholangiocarcinoma.” JCO: Precision Oncology, DOI: 10.1200/PO.17.00018 (IF2016=new ASCO journal)

El Refaey M, Lawrence-McGee ME, Fulzele S, Kennedy EJ, Bollag WB, Elsalanty M, Zhong Q, Ding KH, Bendzunas NG, Shi XM, Xu J, Hill WD, Johnson MH, Hunter M, Pierce JL, Yu K, Hamrick MW, Isales CM. (2017) “Kynurenine, a tryptophan metabolite that accumulates with age, induces bone loss.” Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3224 (PMID 28727234) (IF2016=6.284)

Mo GC, Ross B, Hertel F, Manna P, Yang X, Greenwald E, Booth C, Plummer AM, Tenner B, Chen Z, Wang Y, Kennedy EJ, Cole PA, Fleming KG, Palmer A, Jimenez R, Xiao J, Dedecker P, Zhang J.  (2017) “Genetically-encoded biosensors for visualizing live-cell biochemical activity at superresolution.”  Nature Methods, DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4221 (PMID: 28288122)

Hanold LE, Fulton MD, Kennedy EJ.* (2017) “Targeting kinase signaling pathways with constrained peptide scaffolds.”  Pharmacology and Therapeutics, DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.02.014 (PMID: 28185915)

Haidar M, Lombes A, Bouillaud F, Kennedy EJ, Langsley G. (2017) “HK2 recruitment to phospho-BAD prevents its degradation promoting Warburg glycolysis by Theileria-transformed leukocytes, ACS Infectious Diseases, 3(3):216-224, DOI 10.1021/acsinfecdis.6b00180 (PMID: 28086019)

Bavencoffe A, Li Y, Wu Z, Yang Q, Kennedy EJ, Walters ET and Dessauer CW. (2016) “Persistent pain-related activity in primary nociceptors after spinal cord injury is maintained by scaffolded adenylyl cyclase and Protein Kinase A.” Neuroscience, 36: 1660-8, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0895-15.2016 (PMID: 26843647).

Mohanty S, Oruganty K, Kwon A, Byrne DP, Ferries S, Ruan Z, Hanold LE, Katiyar S, Kennedy EJ, Eyers PA and Kannan N. (2016) “Hydrophobic core variations provide a structural framework for tyrosine kinase evolution and functional specialization.” PLoS Genetics,  12: e1005885, DOI 1371/journal.pgen.1005885 (PMID: 26925779).

Teng Y, Bahassan A, Dong D, Hanold LE, Ren X, Kennedy EJ*, Cowell JK*. (2016)  “Targeting the WASF3-CYFIP1 Complex Using Stapled Peptides Suppresses Cancer Cell Invasion.” Cancer Research, 76(4):965-73, DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-1680 (PMID: 26676744).

Autenrieth K, Bendzunas NG, Bertinetti D, Herberg FW, Kennedy EJ.* (2016) “Defining A-Kinase Anchoring Protein (AKAP) Specificity for the Protein Kinase A Subunit RI (PKA-RI).” Chembiochem, 17: 693-7, DOI 0.1002/cbic.201500632 (PMID 26611881).

Gotz F, Roske Y, Schulz MS, Autenrieth K, Bertinetti D, Faelber K, Zuhlke K, Kreuchwig A, Kennedy EJ, Krause G, Daumke O, Herberg FW, Heinemann U and Klussmann E. (2016) “AKAP18:PKA-RIIa structure reveals crucial anchor points for recognition of regulatory subunits of PKA.”  J., 473(13):1881-94, DOI 10.1042/BCJ20160242 (PMID: 27102985).

Teng Y*, Qin H, Bahassan A, Bendzunas NG, Kennedy EJ*, Cowell JK*. (2016) “The WASF3-NCKAP1-CYFIP1 Complex Is Essential for Breast Cancer Metastasis.” Cancer Research, 76(17): 5133-42, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-0562 (PMID: 27432794).

Haidar M, Ramdani G, Kennedy EJ and Langsley G. (2016) “PKA and apicomplexan parasite diseases.” Metab. Res., 48: 1-5, DOI 110.1055/s-0042-118459.

Nguyen HT, Jia W, Beedle AM, Kennedy EJ, Murph MM.  (2015)  “Lysophosphatidic Acid Mediates Activating Transcription Factor 3 Expression Which Is a Target for Post-Transcriptional Silencing by miR-30c-2-3p.”  PLoS One, 10(9):e0139489, DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0139489 (PMID: 26418018).

Kennedy EJ* and Kannan N.  (2015)  “Dialing in EGFR signaling.” Chem. Biol., 22(6): 687-8, DOI 10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.06.001 (PMID: 26091165).

Flaherty BR, Wang Y, Trope EC, Ho TG, Muralidharan V, Kennedy EJ* and Peterson DS*.  (2015)  “The Stapled AKAP disruptor peptide STAD-2 displays antimalarial activity through a PKA-independent mechanism.” PLoS One, 10(5): e0129239, DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0129239 (PMID: 26010880).

Kennedy EJ and Scott JD.  (2015)  “Selective disruption of the AKAP signaling complexes.”  Methods in Molecular Biology, 1294: 137-50, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-2537-7_11 (PMID: 25783883).

Hermann JS, Skroblin P, Bertinetti D, Hanold LE, von der Heide EK, Wagener E-M, Zenn H-M, Klussmann E, Kennedy EJ and Herberg FW. (2015)  “Neurochondrin is an atypical RIIalpha-specific A-kinase anchoring protein.” Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1854:1667-75, DOI 10.1016/j.bbapap.2015.04.018 (PMID: 25916936).

Mohanty S, Kennedy EJ, Herberg FW, Hui R, Taylor SS, Langsley G and Kannan N. (2015)  “Structural and evolutionary divergence of cyclic nucleotide binding domains in eukaryotic pathogens: Implications for drug design.” Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1854:1575-85. DOI 10.1016/j.bbapap.2015.03.012. (PMID: 25847873).

Hanold LE, Watkins, CP, Liaw P, Beedle AM and Kennedy EJ.*  (2015)  “Design of a selenylsulfide-bridged EGFR dimerization arm mimic.” Bioorg. Med. Chem., 23(12):2761-6. DOI 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.03.040 (PMID: 25840798).

Hanold LE, Oruganty K, Ton NT, Beedle AM, Kannan N and Kennedy EJ.*  (2015)  “Inhibiting EGFR dimerization using triazolyl-bridged dimerization arm mimics.”  PLoS One, 10(3): e0118796, DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0118796 (PMID: 25790232).

Wang Y, Ho TG, Franz E, Hermann JS, Smith FD, Hehnly H, Esseltine JL, Hanold LE, Murph MM, Bertinetti D, Scott JD, Herberg FW and Kennedy EJ.*  (2015)  “PKA-type I Selective constrained peptide disruptors of AKAP complexes.” ACS Chem. Biol., 10(6):1502-10.  DOI 10.1021/acschembio.5b00009 (PMID 25765284).

El Refaey M, Watkins CP, Kennedy EJ, Chang A, Zong Q, Ding K-H, Shi X-M, Xu J, Bollag WB, Hill WD, Johnson M, Hunter M, Hamrick MW and Isales CM.  (2015)  “Oxidation of the aromatic amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine disrupts their anabolic effects on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.”  Mol. Cell. Endrocinol., 410:87-96. DOI 10.1016/j.mce.2015.01.034 (PMID: 25637715).

Kennedy EJ.* (2014)  “EMBO conference series: Chemical Biology 2014.” ChemBioChem. 15(18):2783-7. DOI 10.1002/cbic.201402527. (PMID: 25318996).

Fortunato MJ, Ball CE, Hollinger K, Patel NB, Modi JN, Rajasekaran V, Nonneman DJ, Ross JW, Kennedy EJ, Selsby JT, Beedle AM.  (2014)  “Development of rabbit monoclonal antibodies for detection of alpha-dystroglycan in normal and dystrophic tissue.” PLoS One, 9(5):e97567. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097567 (PMID: 24824861).

Kennedy EJ.*  (2014)  “Biological Drug Products: Development and Strategies.”  Edited by Wei Wang and Manmohan Singh. ChemMedChem. 9(12): 2814-2815.

Wang Y, Ho TG, Bertinetti D, Neddermann M, Franz E, Mo GC, Schendowich LP, Sukhu A, Spelts RC, Zhang J, Herberg FW, Kennedy EJ.*  (2014)  “Isoform-selective disruption of AKAP-localized PKA using hydrocarbon stapled peptides.”  ACS Chem. Biol. 9(3):635-42. DOI 10.1021/cb400900r (PMID: 24422448).

Co-I, Idea Award, DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program, 2017-2019

Collaborator, P01, funded by the National Institutes of Health, 2017-2022

PI, R03, funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute), 2014-2017

PI, NCI Transition Career Development Award, funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute), 2011-2014