Cristel Camacho

Cristel Camacho, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, affiliated with the Medical School and the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences within Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her research focuses on cancer biology, particularly the role of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) and ADP-ribosylation in breast and ovarian cancers. She employs biochemical, genomic, and proteomic approaches using cell models and transgenic mice. Dr. Camacho holds a B.S. in Biology from Hardin-Simmons University (2005) and a Ph.D. from UT Southwestern Medical Center (2012), followed by postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (2017).

Her research interests include exploring PARP-mediated gene regulation, DNA repair mechanisms, and translational control in cancer. Notable achievements include the J.G. Moore Award (2024) and a $40,000 American Cancer Society grant (2023) for studying PARP-1-mediated FoxA1 ADP-ribosylation in breast cancer. The Camacho Lab investigates biomarkers like DDX21 nucleolar localization and develops tools for ADP-ribose detection. Current projects address PARP inhibitors' roles in gynecologic cancers and hormone signaling in myometrial biology.

Lab members include postdoctoral fellows (Marwa Aljardali, Lu Yang) and research associates (Shu-Ping Chiu). The lab is recruiting postdoctoral trainees interested in breast cancer gene regulation. Contact: cristel.camacho@utsouthwestern.edu.