Lurdes Queimado, MD, PhD, Presbyterian Health Foundation Chair in Otorhinolaryngology, is a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). She is also the Director of Basic and Translational Research in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and the Director of the TSET HPRC Tobacco Regulatory Science Laboratory. Dr. Queimado is a medical doctor with training in pathology, a master’s degree in oncobiology, and a PhD in molecular pathology. She joined OUHSC in 2002, has been a TSET Scholar since 2014, was named ORL Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2019, and an Academy of Teaching Scholars Education Hero in 2021.
Dr. Queimado’s research links the fields of environmental exposure, oncogenesis, and cancer therapy. Her laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms that modulate cancer risk, tumor formation, and treatment outcome. Dr. Queimado is the inventor of a unique DNA damage detection assay (q-PADDA) funded by the National Cancer Institute as an innovative molecular analysis technology (R33CA202898). q-PADDA is being tested as a potential tool to predict cancer risk and response to therapy.
Dr. Queimado multidisciplinary work integrates the expertise of unique collaborators from the most diverse specializations, including clinical oncology, tobacco regulatory science, substance abuse, preventive medicine, chemistry, bioinformatics, adductomics, and biostatistics. Current funding supports diverse areas of research including the role of e-cigarettes in tobacco harm reduction (R01CA204891), the distinct impact of diverse tobacco products on oral oncogenesis (R01CA242168), the assessment of q-PADDA as a potential tool to predict cancer risk and facilitate early cancer detection (HPRC), and the assessment of q-PADDA as a potential tool to predict response to targeted cancer therapies (NCT03476798). Her ultimate goal is to contribute to improve patients’ lives by translating basic discoveries into clinical advancements.
Education:
Degree Granting Institutions
- Doctor of Philosophy, Molecular Pathology and Oncobiology; Faculty of Medicine, New University of Lisbon and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Lisbon, Portugal and Dallas, TX
- Master of Science, Oncobiology Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Doctor of Medicine, Summa cum laude Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Post Graduate Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Molecular Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
- Resident, Department of Surgical Pathology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Portugal
- General Training Intern, 98th National Percentile, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Funding:
Active Grants
Role of antioxidant and detoxification defense mechanisms in e-cigarettes induced oxidative stress.
Role: Mentor and Co-Investigator
Specific aims of this project are: 1) to investigate if e-cigs impair NRF2 regulation of antioxidant, detoxification, and inflammatory reponses in the lung cells; and 2) to determine whether sulforaphane can reverse e-cig induced oxidative stress and inflammation in mouse lungs.
Project Period: 08/01/2021-06/30/2022
Funding: TSET Health Promotion Research Center
Total Costs: $50,000
Linking health risk factors, systemic DNA damage and cervical cancer risk
Role: Principal Investigator
Specific aims of this project are: 1) determine whether the level of DNA damage in peripheral blood cells correlates with the grade of cervical dysplasia and cancer; and 2) to assess whether the risk factors for development of cervical dysplasia and cancer corrrelate with the systemic levels of DNA damage.
Project Period: 11/18/2020-06/30/2022
Funding: TSET Health Promotion Research Center
Total Costs: $50,000
Biological impact of exclusive and dual e-cigarette use on oral cancer risk
R01CA242168
Role: Principal Investigator
Multi-Institutional study aiming: 1) to assess the genotoxic and mutagenic effects of e-cigs in exclusive and dual, e-cigs and combustible tobacco, users; 2) to characterize the impact of e-cigs use on oral muscosa transcriptome; and 3) to dissect the effect of e-cigs aerosol constituents on cellular genotoxicity and DNA repair capacity.
Project Period: 07/01/2020-06/30/2025
Funding: National Institute of Health (NIH)/ National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Total Costs: $1,612,995
Examination of First and Second Generation E-cigarettes
R01CA204891
Role: Site Principal Investigator
Dr. Queimado is the PI in charge of Aim 3. Specific aims are: 1) to assess the effect of provision of G1 vs. G2 e-cigs on product switching/substitution, abuse liability, number of cigarettes smoked, and perceived nicotine dependence; 2) to evaluate changes in biomarkers of harmful tobacco constituent exposure among participants assigned to G1, G2, and UB; and 3) to evaluate changes in biomarkers of toxicant effect among participants assigned to G1, G2, and UBC. Clinical Trail ID: NCT03113136
Project Period: 9/30/2016-08/31/2022
Funding: NIH/NCI
Costs: $462,598
A Phase II Trial of Bevacizumab and Rucaparib in Recurrent Carcinoma of the Cervix or Endometrium
Multi-Institutional study to determine whether the combination of rucaparib and bevacizumab will produce synergistic anti-cancer effect and increase progression-free survival (PRS) in patients with the carcinoma of the cervix or endometrium. The translational objective of this study is to determine whether the level of DNA damage in patient tumor biopsies is associated with response, PFS, and/or overall survival. Clinical Trial ID: NCT03476798
Project Period: 07/01/2016-Present
Funding: University of Okalhoma and Clovis Oncology, Inc.
Costs: $467,852
Select Publications:
1. Floyd EL, Greenlee S, Oni TM, Sadhasivam B, Queimado L. The Effect of Flow Rate on a Third Generation Sub-Ohm Tank Electronic Nicotine Delivery System – Comparison of CORESTA Flow Rates to More Realistic Flow Rates. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul 15; 18(14):7535. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147535. PMID: 34299985. PMCID: PMC8307737.
2. Muthusami S, Kumaran RI, Babu KN, Krishnamoorthy S, Guruswamy A, Queimado L, Chaudhuri G, and Ramachandran I. Role of inflammation in the development of colorectal cancer. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2021 Jan 26; 21(1):77-90. doi: 10.2174/1871530320666200909092908. Epub 2020 Sep 17. PMID: 32901590.
3. Muthusami S, Ramachandran I, Krishnamoorthy S, Sambandam Y, Ramalingam S, Queimado L, Chaudhuri G, and Kumaran RI. Regulation of microRNAs in inflammation associated colorectal cancer: A Mechanistic Approach. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2021 Jan 26; 21(1):67-76. doi: 10.2174/1871530320666200917112802. Epub 2020 Sep 17. PMID: 32940190.
4. Manyanga J, Queimado L (Advisor). Electronic Cigarettes: Implications on Cancer Risk and Cisplatin Resistance in Oral Epithelial Cells. Order No. 28030538 The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2020. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. 2021 Jan 20.
5. Manyanga J, Ganapathy V, Bouharati C, Mehta T, Sadhasivam B, Acharya P, Zhao D, and Queimado L. Electronic cigarette aerosols alter the expression of cisplatin transporters and increase drug resistance in oral cancer cells. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 19; 11(1):1821. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-81148-0. PMID: 33469038. PMCID: PMC7815770.
6. Tackett AP, Keller-Hamilton B, Smith CE, Hébert ET, Metcalf JP, Queimado L, Stevens EM, Wallace SW, McQuaid EL, and Wagener TL. Evaluation of Respiratory Symptoms among Youth E-Cigarette Users. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Oct 1; 3(10):e2020671. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.20671. PMID: 33048131.
7. Floyd EL, Queimado L, Wang J, Regens JL, and Johnson DL. Electronic cigarette power affects count concentration and particle size distribution of vaping aerosol. PLoS One. 2018; 13(12):e0210147. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210147. eCollection 2018. PMID: 30596800. PMCID: PMC6312322.
8. Queimado L, Wagener T, and Ganapathy V. Electronic cigarette aerosols induce DNA damage and reduce DNA repair: Consistency across species. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2018 Jun 12; 115(24):E5437-E5438. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1807411115. Epub 2018 May 25. PMID: 29802233. PMCID: PMC6004470. (IF: 9.661).