University of Pittsburgh

Celestino Velasquez

Graduate Student





	
	


			

		Celestino Velasquez	
		

		

	
Contact

    		

		cev10@pitt.edu	
		

		
			

		412-623-7733	
		

		
	
	
	    

    
    
   
    
   
    
    		

		
1.8 Hillman Cancer Center
5117 Centre Avenue
	
		

	    
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
    
	
	
	
			

		Pittsburgh, PA 15232	
		

		
		
	



	
Education
	
	

	
BS in Biomedical Chemistry, Oral Roberts University, 2013
        

              
   
  
 
 


  
 
 
 
 
 	
Program
	
	

	Program in Integrative Molecular Biology (PIMB)	
	


 
 
 	
Mentor
	
	

	
Patrick Moore, MD, MPH
        

                
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
 
 
   
   
















        









	
Research Lab Affiliation
	
	

	Moore Lab	
	





	
Areas of Interest
	
	

	Cap-dependent mRNA translation; eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1); cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1); mitosis	
	






	
Why I Chose Pitt
	
	

	
I liked the benefits that the graduate program offers (competitive stipend, health insurance, educational enrichment account, lack of teaching obligations, etc.) and that the university attracts some of the best minds in biomedical research, either for faculty positions or for highly engaging talks. In addition, resources are abundant at this institution, and it is very easy to set up collaborations with other researchers for almost any kind of experiment that you would like to perform. Pittsburgh is a wonderful city, has a reliable bus transportation system, and proves to be very safe and affordable for students.
	
	




	
Publications
	
	

	
Velasquez C, Cheng E, Shuda M, Lee-Oesterreich PJ, Pogge von Strandmann L, Gritsenko MA, Jacobs JM, Moore PS and Chang Y. (2016) Mitotic protein kinase CDK1 phosphorylation of mRNA translation regulator 4E-BP1 Ser83 may contribute to cell transformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 113: 8466-8471. |  View Abstract
Shuda M, Velasquez C, Cheng E, Cordek DG, Kwun HJ, Chang Y and Moore PS. (2015) CDK1 substitutes for mTOR kinase to activate mitotic cap-dependent protein translation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112: 5875-5882. |  View Abstract