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Researcher
Stays True To His Roots: A Profile of Constantine Markides
 |
Constantine
Markides, Ph.D. research on the
metabolic mechanisms of camptothecin, picks up where
his mentor, Dr. Joachim Liehr has left off in search
to find a cancer cure. |
Constantine Markides remembers when he became “a real
scientist.” That fall morning in 2000, Markides was
scheduled to go to the International Society of Oncology
meeting in his home country of Greece. Hours before his
plane left, he monitored an experiment he was working on,
which unbeknownst to him would be the
culmination of many years of research.
“As a researcher early in your career, you go to a
meeting like this in awe of the scientists there,”
Markides said. “Then you realize that about this one
little thing, you are the expert. You know more about it
than anyone else, and it is a good feeling.”
Markides’ colleagues shared his excitement at his
discovery when he presented data on his estrogen research.
He had isolated a protein, called an estrogen receptor,
theorized to promote tumor growth. Markides had searched
for the receptor for several years as a graduate student
in Dr. Joachim Liehr’s lab at the University of Texas
Medical Branch and later as a fellow at the Stehlin Foundation.
Markides finished his dissertation in 2002, and earned his
Ph.D. from UTMB in pharmacology and toxicology.
Following graduation, Markides turned down a faculty position
with the prestigious Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia
to stay at the Stehlin Foundation.
“I chose to continue at Stehlin for several reasons.
Working alongside my mentor Dr. Liehr was inspiring. I was
intrigued by the challenges our work presented and I wanted
to continue what we started together. Given the opportunity
to work with Liehr and the research we accomplished at the
Stehlin lab, I felt a sense of obligation to them for all
they have given me. At Fox Chase, I would just be another
face at an Ivy League cancer center. At Stehlin, I feel
I can make a more sizeable contribution.”
Since Liehr’s passing in April 2003, Markides has
continued working in his mentor’s footsteps.
“Although my research focus has changed, I’m
still picking up where Dr. Liehr left off.”
Currently Markides is trying to determine the metabolic
mechanisms of camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives and
how to exploit them to increase their effectiveness.
“Research is never simple and it is never-ending,”
Markides says. His research on the pharmacology of esters
is a multifaceted study, but he says it is only a small
portion of the ongoing drug development research at the
Stehlin lab.
He is grateful to work in an environment that allows him
to focus on more than a single, narrow avenue of study.
“New literature comes out every week on drug development
for cancer research,”
Markides said. “It is a very exciting time to be conducting
research at the Stehlin Foundation, and I have some big
shoes to fill following Dr. Liehr’s work.”
On December 31, 2002, Markides began another exciting new
chapter in his life. In a
New Year’s Eve ceremony, he married his girlfriend
Michelle Rawson. Markides met Michelle working on his postgraduate
studies at UTMB, where she was attending medical school.
The newlyweds are now living happily in North Houston with
their dog, Onyx and cat, Castigere. Michelle practices emergency
medicine at West Houston Medical Center while Markides continues
to advance his research at
the Stehlin lab.
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