CURRICULUM VITAE
NAME:
Suzanne Tomlinson
PRESENT POSITION:
Research Scientist II
Center for Addiction Research
University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Blvd
Galveston, Texas, 77555-0615
Office: (409) 747-7052
Fax: (409) 772-3093
Email: smtomlin@utmb.edu
EDUCATION
2011-2014
Postdoctoral training, Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology University of Texas Medical Branch,
Galveston, Texas, Development of Aldose Reductase Inhibitors
to Treat Colon Cancer; advisor S.J. Watowich
2004-2010
Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) University of
Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
2001-2003
M.S. (Biology) Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas
1996-1999
B.S. (Major, Biology; Minor, Chemistry) Angelo State University,
San Angelo, Texas
PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
2014 – CURRENT
Research Scientist II, University of Texas Medical Branch,
Center for Addiction Research, Galveston, Texas
Director Molecular Therapeutics Initiative, University of
Texas Medical Branch, Center for Addiction Research,
Galveston, Texas
Manager of the Cellular & Molecular Biology Screening
Core, University of Texas Medical Branch, Center for
Addiction Research, Galveston, Texas
Program Manager of the Multi-Translational Team "Novel
Biomarkers & Therapeutics in Addictions & Impulse Control
Disorders" University of Texas Medical Branch, Center for
Addiction Research, Galveston, Texas
2011-2014
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Texas Medical
Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555
2004-2010
Graduate Student, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
77555
1999-2004
President, BIR Wildlife Rehabilitation Natural Resource
Education (501(c)3), San Angelo, Texas 76901
PROFESSIONAL TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2014-current
Director and Instructor, PHTO 6120 Translational
Addiction Science, University of Texas Medical Branch,
Center for Addiction Research, Galveston, Texas 77555
2013
Course developer and instructor, Collaborative
Innovation in Science, University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas 77555
2011
Instructor, BMB 6000-002, Structure-Based Drug
Discovery, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston,
Texas 77555
2007 - 2008
Course coordinator and instructor, BBSC 6104,
Introduction to Biological Systems, University of Texas
Medical Branch Galveston, Texas 77555
2000-2001
Veribest Independent School District, Science 7-8,
Integrated Physics and Chemistry 9, Biology 10, Chemistry
11, 12, Physics 12, Veribest, Texas, 76886
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Current research focuses on 1) development of positive allosteric modulators of the
serotonin (5-HT) 2C receptor (5-HT2CR) to treat cocaine addiction and 2) development of
a chemical proteomics platform for new target identification. By elucidating the 5-HT2CR
protein macrocomplex upon stimulation by various ligands we will identify downstream
targets for drug development which may afford the opportunity for more selective drugs
and lessen unwanted side effects.
PAST RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Structure-based discovery of selective aldose reductase inhibitors (ARIs) to be developed
as therapeutics to treat colon cancer: Research focused on virtual screen identification of
small molecule compounds that were predicted to bind to a glutathione binding site which
would reduce inhibition of non-glutathione-conjugated aldehydes since it is only
glutathione conjugated aldehydes that have been shown to be precursors for colon
cancer. Traditional ARIs block all aldehyde reduction by aldose reductase and this was
hypothesized as a potential reason for the deleterious side effects observed in ARI clinical
trials. Project identified novel ARIs that were selective for glutathione-aldehyde reduction.
Development of antiviral compounds against Dengue and West Nile fever viruses:
Research included screening of lead compounds for antiviral activity (specifically antiprotease activity) against Dengue-2 (DEN2V) and West Nile Virus (WNV) in cell-based
replication assays, optimization of ex vivo and in vitro protease activity assays (DEN2V),
screening of lead compounds in protease activity assays, and in silico screening of virtual
libraries for flavivirus protease inhibitors.
Sequence analysis of the enterotoxin A gene (SEA) in S. aureus strains and an apparent
S. caprae isolate which has never been demonstrated to produce enterotoxin A: Research
included isolation and purification of DNA, amplification (PCR), primer design, cloning,
plasmid prep, sequencing and analysis with Sequencher and Paup software, and ITS
PCR.
Comparative DNA Sequence Analysis in Free–tail Bats (Molossidae) focused on
Cytochrome b included isolation and purification of DNA, amplification (PCR), cloning,
plasmid prep, sequencing and analysis with Sequencher and Paup software.
HONORS AND AWARDS
2011-2013
Postdoctoral fellowship "Computational Cancer Biology"
Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas,
CPRIT RP101489
2012
1st place Post-doctoral poster presentation; 2012 Annual
Keck Research Conference, Rice University
2011
National Institute for General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Scholarship for “Computer-Aided Drug Design
2010-2011
Predoctoral fellowship "Biomedical Informatics and
Computational Biology" National Library of Medicine,
T15LM007093
2009
Barbara Bowman
Biochemistry
2009
Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities
2007-2009
Predoctoral fellowship "Computational and Structural
Biology in Biodefense" NIAID and Keck, Grant1 T32
AI065396-01
2004
Texas Academy of
Presentation, 3rd Place
2003
American Society for Microbiology,
Honorable Mention, Nov. 7, 2003
Scholarship
Science
for
Excellence
Graduate
Sulken
in
Student
Award
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Weir D, Jones C, Ammerman L, Dybdahl K, Tomlinson SM. 2007. Report of a strain of
Staphylococcus caprae with the genes for enterotoxin A and enterotoxin-like toxin type
P. J Clin. Microbiol. 45, 3476-7
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ. 2008. Substrate inhibition kinetic model for West Nile virus
NS2B-NS3 protease. Biochemistry 47, 11763-11770
Tomlinson SM, Malmstrom RD, Russo A, Mueller N, Pang YP, Watowich SJ. 2009.
Structure-based discovery of dengue virus protease inhibitors. Antiviral Res. 82, 110-114
Tomlinson SM, Malmstrom RD, Watowich SJ. 2009. New approaches to structurebased discovery of dengue protease inhibitors. Infect. Dis. Drugs Targets 9, 327-343
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ. 2011. Anthracene-based inhibitors of dengue virus NS2BNS3 protease, Antiviral Res. 89, 127-135
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ. 2012. Use of parallel validation high-throughput screens
to reduce false positives and identify novel dengue NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitors.
Antiviral Res. 93: 245-252
Viswanathan U., Tomlinson SM, Fonner JM, Mock SA, Watowich SJ 2014. Identification
of a novel inhibitor of dengue virus protease through use of a virtual screening drug
discovery web portal. J. Chemical Info. Mod. 54, 2816-2825
Tomlinson SM, Graces A, Viswanathan U, Watowich SJ, 2015. Computational and
structural approaches to develop West Nile virus neurotoxin protease inhibitors. Under
internal review
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ. 2015. AMC-linked substrates may present false positives
in early drug candidate efficacy studies. In revision
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ. 2015. Multi-conformation docking to aldose reductase
improves binder discrimination. In revision
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ. 2015. Optimization of dengue virus protease inhibitors
utilizing structure-activity relationships (SAR). In preparation
ABSTRACTS PRESENTED
Tomlinson SM, Mohamed M, Matt Amana S, Brasier A, Cunningham, KA: Innovations in
Molecular Therapeutics and Devices, Clinical and Translational Research Forum, March
11, 2015, Galveston, Texas
Tomlinson SM, McAllister, CE, Egbejimi, A, Alanis, R, Nilsson, C, Cunningham, KA:
Mining the Native Serotonin 5-HT Receptor Protein Macrocomplex for New Therapeutics
in Cocaine Addiction, Clinical and Translational Research Forum, March 11, 2015,
Galveston, Texas
Wild C, Hartley, RM, Ding C, Zhang G, Anastasio NC, Fox RG, Stutz S, Tomlinson SM,
Cunningham KA: Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Characterization of Serotonin
(5-HT) 5-HT2C Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulators to treat Psychostimulant Abuse.
24th Annual Keck Annual Research Conference Quantitative Synthetic Biology, November
7, 2014, Houston, Texas
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ: Multi-Conformation Docking of Aldose Reductase
Improves Binder Discrimination, March 22, 2013, Houston, Texas
Tomlinson SM: Advanced Countermeasures for Combating Emerging Pathogens, Tri
Beta Annual Meeting, October 26, 2011, San Angelo,Texas
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ: Structure-Based Discovery of Drugs to Treat Dengue
Disease, Austin Middle School, October 14, 2011, Galveston, Texas
Tomlinson SM: Computational Drug Discovery, Rice University Theoretical Computation
Workgroup, April 28, 2011, Houston Texas
Tomlinson SM, Watowich SJ: Newly Discovered Dengue Virus (DENV) and West Nile
Virus (WNV) Protease Inhibitors Characterized with a Substrate Inhibition Kinetic Model,
Keystone Computational Drug Discovery Conference, April 2010, Whistler, BC
Tomlinson SM, Malmstrom, RD, Russo AT, Watowich SJ: Structure-Based Discovery of
Inhibitors of the West Nile Virus and Dengue Virus NS2B-NS3 Proteases, Annual Keck
Research Conference, September 30, 2008, Houston, Texas
Tomlinson SM, Malmstrom, RD, Russo AT, Watowich SJ: Structure-Based Discovery of
Inhibitors of the West Nile Virus and Dengue Virus NS2B-NS3 Proteases, International
Drug Discovery and Development Conference, November 2007, Xian, China
Tomlinson SM, Malmstrom, Watowich SJ: Structure-Based Discovery of Dengue Virus
NS2B-NS3 Protease Inhibitors, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Student Poster
Session, September 2007, Galveston, Texas
Tomlinson SM, Dybdahl K, Ammerman L, Jones CW: Enterotoxin A Production by an
Atypical Staphylococcal Isolate. Texas Academy of Science, March 7, 2004, Kerrville,
Texas
Tomlinson SM, Dybdahl K, Ammerman L, Jones CW: Enterotoxin A Production by an
Atypical Staphylococcal Isolate. Texas A&M. Am. Soc. for Microbiology, Nov. 7, 2003,
College Station, Texas
Tomlinson SM, Dybdahl K, Ammerman L, Jones CW Enterotoxin A Production by an
Atypical Staphylococcal Isolate. Angelo State University Research Symposium, Nov. 25,
2003, San Angelo, Texas
Tomlinson SM: Technical Advances in DNA Vaccines. Angelo State University. May 8,
2001, San Angelo, Texas
.