Research Summary

Paula S. Juras, Ph.D., is the project officer for the Sister Study, a national effort to learn how the environment and genes affect breast cancer risk. It is a long-term study of 50,000 American women, from diverse backgrounds, whose sisters had breast cancer. Because of shared environment, genes and experiences, sisters of women with breast cancer have, on average, twice the risk of developing breast cancer themselves. By studying these sisters, researchers have a greater chance of identifying risk factors and discovering ways to prevent breast cancer.

Paula S. Juras, Ph.D., is also the Contracting Officer's Representative for the NIEHS Data and Specimen Repository—a component of the DIR and DTT "Archives and Repository Contract," through which the Contractor provides space, equipment, management, security and operational support for large-scale archiving and repository services for materials collected during the conduct of NIEHS in-house or contract-supported research.

Juras' dissertation research centered on an indicator of breast cancer prognosis, and her graduate research, as a whole, contributed directly to the development of protease inhibitor therapeutics for persons living with HIV. As a fellow at NIEHS, she studied lung disorders associated with some breast cancer treatments.

Selected Publications

1. Sandler DP, ME Hodgson, SL Deming-Halverson, PS Juras, AA D'Aloisio, LM Suarez, CA Kleeberger, DL Shore, LA DeRoo, JA Taylor and CR Weinberg; Sister Study Research Team. (2017) The Sister Study Cohort: Baseline Methods and Participant Characteristics. Environ Health Perspect. Dec 20;125(12):127003. [Abstract Sandler DP, ME Hodgson, SL Deming-Halverson, PS Juras, AA D'Aloisio, LM Suarez, CA Kleeberger, DL Shore, LA DeRoo, JA Taylor and CR Weinberg; Sister Study Research Team. (2017) The Sister Study Cohort: Baseline Methods and Participant Characteristics. Environ Health Perspect. Dec 20;125(12):127003.]
2. Scarborough, PE, J Ma, W Qu and DC Zeldin. (1999) P450 subfamily CYP2J and their role in the bioactivation of arachidonic acid in extrahepatic tissues. Drug Metabolism Reviews 31, 203-232. PMID: 10065373. [Abstract Scarborough, PE, J Ma, W Qu and DC Zeldin. (1999) P450 subfamily CYP2J and their role in the bioactivation of arachidonic acid in extrahepatic tissues. Drug Metabolism Reviews 31, 203-232. PMID: 10065373.]
3. Dunn, BM, PE Scarborough, WT Lowther and C Rao-Naik. (1995) Comparison of the active site specificity of the aspartic proteinases based on a systematic series of peptide substrates. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 362, 1-9. [Abstract Dunn, BM, PE Scarborough, WT Lowther and C Rao-Naik. (1995) Comparison of the active site specificity of the aspartic proteinases based on a systematic series of peptide substrates. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 362, 1-9.]
4. Scarborough, PE, and BM Dunn. (1994) Redesign of the substrate specificity of human cathepsin D: The dominant role of position 287 in the S₂ subsite. Protein Engineering 7, 495-502. [Abstract Scarborough, PE, and BM Dunn. (1994) Redesign of the substrate specificity of human cathepsin D: The dominant role of position 287 in the S₂ subsite. Protein Engineering 7, 495-502.]
5. Sawyer, TK, JF Fisher, JB Hester, CW Smith, AG Tomasselli, WG Tarpley, PS Burton, JO Hui, TJ McQuade, RA Conradi, VS Bradford, L Lui, JH Kinner, J Tustin, DL Alexander, AW Harrison, DE Emmert, DJ Staples, LL Maggiora, YZ Zhang, RA Poorman, BM Dunn, C Rao, PE Scarborough, WT Lowther, C Craik, D DeCamp, J Moon, WJ Howe and RL Heinrikson. (1993) Peptidomimetic inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus protease (HIV-PR): Design, enzyme binding and selectivity, antiviral efficacy, and cell permeability properties. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 3, 819-824. DOI: 10.1016/S0960-894X(00)80673-3.
6. Pennington, MW, I Zaydenberg, ME Byrnes, J de Chastonay, BA Malcolm, W Swietnicki, WG Farmerie, PE Scarborough and BM Dunn. (1993) A strategy for characterizing new viral proteases: Applied to HIV PR and HAV 3C PR. In Peptides 1992: Proceedings of the 22^nd European Peptide Symposium (C. H. Schneider and A. N. Eberle, Eds.), ESCOM Science Publishers B.V., Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. 936-937.
7. Rao, C, PE Scarborough, J Kay, B Batley, S Rapundalo, S Klutchko, MD Taylor, E Lunney, CC Humblet and BM Dunn. (1993) Specificity in the binding of inhibitors to the active site of human/primate aspartic proteinases: Analysis of P₂-P₁-P_1'-P_2' variation. J. Med. Chem. 36, 2614-2620. [Abstract Rao, C, PE Scarborough, J Kay, B Batley, S Rapundalo, S Klutchko, MD Taylor, E Lunney, CC Humblet and BM Dunn. (1993) Specificity in the binding of inhibitors to the active site of human/primate aspartic proteinases: Analysis of P₂-P₁-P_1'-P_2' variation. J. Med. Chem. 36, 2614-2620.]
8. Scarborough, PE, K Guruprasad, C Topham, GR Richo, GE Conner, TL Blundell and BM Dunn. (1993) Exploration of subsite binding specificity of human cathepsin D through kinetics and knowledge-based molecular modeling. Prot. Sci. 2, 264-276. [Abstract Scarborough, PE, K Guruprasad, C Topham, GR Richo, GE Conner, TL Blundell and BM Dunn. (1993) Exploration of subsite binding specificity of human cathepsin D through kinetics and knowledge-based molecular modeling. Prot. Sci. 2, 264-276.]
9. Jupp, RA, AD Richards, LH Phylip, J Kay, J Konvalinka, P Strop, V Kostka, PE Scarborough, WG Farmerie and BM Dunn. (1991) Substrate cleavage by HIV-1 Proteinase. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 306, 461-467. [Abstract Jupp, RA, AD Richards, LH Phylip, J Kay, J Konvalinka, P Strop, V Kostka, PE Scarborough, WG Farmerie and BM Dunn. (1991) Substrate cleavage by HIV-1 Proteinase. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 306, 461-467.]
10. Pennington, MW, SM Festin, ML Maccecchini, F Dick and PE Scarborough. (1991) HIV protease, chromogenic substrate and inhibitor. In Peptides 1990: Proceedings of the 21^st European Peptide Symposium (Giralt and Andreu, Eds.), ESCOM Science Publishers B.V., Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. 787-789. [Abstract Pennington, MW, SM Festin, ML Maccecchini, F Dick and PE Scarborough. (1991) HIV protease, chromogenic substrate and inhibitor. In Peptides 1990: Proceedings of the 21^st European Peptide Symposium (Giralt and Andreu, Eds.), ESCOM Science Publishers B.V., Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. 787-789.]
11. Rao, C, PE Scarborough, WT Lowther, J Kay, B Batley, S Rapundalo, S Klutchko, MD Taylor and BM Dunn. (1991) Structure-function database for active site binding to the aspartic proteinases. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 306, 143-147. [Abstract Rao, C, PE Scarborough, WT Lowther, J Kay, B Batley, S Rapundalo, S Klutchko, MD Taylor and BM Dunn. (1991) Structure-function database for active site binding to the aspartic proteinases. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 306, 143-147.]
12. Scarborough, PE, GR Richo, J Kay, GE Conner and BM Dunn. (1991) Comparison of kinetic properties of native and recombinant human cathepsin D. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 306, 343-347. [Abstract Scarborough, PE, GR Richo, J Kay, GE Conner and BM Dunn. (1991) Comparison of kinetic properties of native and recombinant human cathepsin D. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 306, 343-347.]
13. Phylip, LH, AD Richards, J Kay, J Konvalinka, P Strop, V Kostka, AJ Ritchie, AV Broadhurst, WG Farmerie, PE Scarborough and BM Dunn. (1990) Hydrolysis of synthetic chromogenic substrates by HIV-1 and HIV-2 Proteinases. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 171, 439-444. DOI: 10.1016/0006-291X(90)91412-L. [Abstract Phylip, LH, AD Richards, J Kay, J Konvalinka, P Strop, V Kostka, AJ Ritchie, AV Broadhurst, WG Farmerie, PE Scarborough and BM Dunn. (1990) Hydrolysis of synthetic chromogenic substrates by HIV-1 and HIV-2 Proteinases. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 171, 439-444. DOI: 10.1016/0006-291X(90)91412-L.]
14. Richards, AD, LH Phylip, WG Farmerie, PE Scarborough, A Alvarez, BM Dunn, Ph-H Hirel, J Konvalinka, P Strop, L Pavlickova, V Kostka and J Kay. (1990) Sensitive, soluble chromogenic substrates for HIV-1 Proteinase. J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7733-7736. [Abstract Richards, AD, LH Phylip, WG Farmerie, PE Scarborough, A Alvarez, BM Dunn, Ph-H Hirel, J Konvalinka, P Strop, L Pavlickova, V Kostka and J Kay. (1990) Sensitive, soluble chromogenic substrates for HIV-1 Proteinase. J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7733-7736.]
15. Scarborough, PE, GE Conner and BM Dunn. (1990) Expression, refolding and characterization of recombinant human procathepsin D. In Peptides: Chemistry, Structure and Biology: Proceedings of the Eleventh American Peptide Symposium (JE Rivier and GR Marshall, Eds.), ESCOM Science Publishers B.V., Leiden, The Netherlands, pp. 367-368.
16. Thompson NL, AG Palmer, LL Wright and PE Scarborough. (1988) Fluorescence techniques for supported planar model membranes. Comments Mol. Cell Biophys. 5, 109-131.