Olga Voznesensky, M.S., Lab Manager

olgaOlga joined Dr. Balk’s lab in 2011 as a research lab manager. Olga is involved in the studies of androgen receptor signaling and the mechanism of castration resistance in prostate cancer. Specifically, Olga works with tissue samples obtained from patients with advanced and metastatic prostate cancer enrolled in clinical trials. She uses either the whole patient’s biopsies or isolates tumor cells using laser capture microdissection. She uses circulating nucleic acids isolated from plasma and circulating tumor cells as another source of material. Nucleic acids from the samples are purified and used for analysis of gene expression patterns, mutation analysis, library preparations for deep sequencing. The goal of these studies is to understand the role of AR signaling in cancer’s resistance to treatment.

Olga holds MS degree from Moscow University of Fine Chemical Technology. Olga worked for many years at the University of Connecticut Health Center where she studied molecular mechanisms of bone remodeling and the role of cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandins and parathyroid hormone in bone formation and resorption. At UCHC Olga also worked on bladder cancer and evaluated expression of potential diagnostic markers of invasive tumors.

Olga has multiple hobbies. She likes to read, travel, and cook. She enjoys outdoor activities: skiing, tennis, hiking and gathering wild mushrooms.

Email Olga

Publications (click underlined to go to publication):

  1. Gao S, Ye H, Gerrin S, Wang H, Sharma A, Chen S, Patnaik A, Sowalsky AG, Voznesensky O, Han W, Yu Z, Mostaghel EA, Nelson PS, Taplin ME, Balk SP, Cai C. ErbB2 Signaling Increases Androgen Receptor Expression in Abiraterone-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2016 Mar 2. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 26936914

  2. Choudhary D, Hegde P, Voznesensky O, Choudhary S, Kopsiaftis S, Claffey KP, Pilbeam CC, Taylor JA 3rd. Increased expression of L-selectin (CD62L) in high-grade urothelial carcinoma: A potential marker for metastatic disease. Urol Oncol. 2015 Sep;33(9):387.e17-27. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2014.12.009. Epub 2015 Jan 22. PMID: 25618296

  3. McKay RR, Zukotynski KA, Werner L, Voznesensky O, Wu JS, Smith SE, Jiang Z, Melnick K, Yuan X, Kantoff PW, Montgomery B, Balk SP, Taplin ME. Imaging, procedural and clinical variables associated with tumor yield on bone biopsy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2014 Dec;17(4):325-31. doi: 10.1038/pcan.2014.28. Epub 2014 Aug 5. PMID: 25091040

  4. Chen E, Sowalsky AG, Gao S, Cai C, Voznesensky O, Schaefer R, Loda M, True LD, Ye H, Troncoso P, Lis RT, Kantoff P, Montgomery B, Nelson PS, Bubley GJ, Balk SP, Taplin ME. Abiraterone Treatment in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Selects for Progesterone Responsive Mutant Androgen Receptors (2015). Clin Cancer Res.

  5. Yu Z, Chen S, Sowalsky AG, Voznesensky OS, Mostaghel EA, Nelson PS, Cai C, Balk SP. Rapid Induction of Androgen Receptor Splice Variants by Androgen Deprivation in Prostate Cancer (2014). Clin Cancer Res. 20(6):1590-1600.

  6. Choudhary S, Blackwell K, Voznesensky O, Debroy A, Pilbeam CC., Prostaglandin E2 acts via bone marrow macrophages to block PTH-stimulated osteoblast differentiation in vitro, Bone. 2013; 56:31-41-52. PMID:

  7. Xu M, Choudhary S, Voznesensky O, Gao Q, Adams D, Diaz-Doran V, Wu Q, Goltzman D, Raisz LG, Pilbeam CC., Basal bone phenotype and increased anabolic responses to intermittent parathyroid hormone in healthy male COX-2 knockout mice, Bone. 2010; 47(2):341-52. PMID: 20471507

  8. Huang H, Chikazu D, Voznesensky OS, Herschman HR, Kream BE, Drissi H, Pilbeam CC., Parathyroid hormone induction of cyclooxygenase-2 in murine osteoblasts: role of the calciumcalcineurin-NFAT pathway, J Bone Miner Res. 2010; 25(4):819-29. PMID: 19821778

  9. Taylor JA 3rd, Ristau B, Bonnemaison M, Voznesensky OS, Hegde P, Kuchel GA, Pilbeam CC., Regulation of the prostaglandin pathway during development of invasive bladder cancer in mice, Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat. 2009; 88(1-2):36-41 PMID: 18834948

  10. Taylor JA 3rd, Kuchel GA, Hegde P, Voznesensky OS, Claffey K, Tsimikas J, Leng L, Bucala R, Pilbeam C., Null mutation for macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is associated with less aggressive bladder cancer in mice., BMC Cancer. 2007; 7:135. PMID: 17650334

  11. Xu Z, Choudhary S, Okada Y, Voznesensky O, Alander C, Raisz L, Pilbeam C., Cyclooxygenase-2 gene disruption promotes proliferation of murine calvarial osteoblasts in vitro, Bone. 2007; 41(1):68-76. PMID: 17467356

  12. Xu Z, Choudhary S, Voznesensky O, Mehrotra M, Woodard M, Hansen M, Herschman H, Pilbeam C., Overexpression of COX-2 in human osteosarcoma cells decreases proliferation and increases apoptosis., Cancer Res. 2006; 66(13):6657-64.PMID: 16818639

  13. Mehrotra M, Saegusa M, Wadhwa S, Voznesensky O , Peterson D, Pilbeam C., Fluid flow induces Rankl expression in primary murine calvarial osteoblasts., J Cell Biochem. 2006; 98(5):1271-83.PMID: 16514640 8.

  14. Mehrotra M, Saegusa M, Voznesensky O, Pilbeam C., Role of Cbfa1/Runx2 in the fluid shear stress induction of COX-2 in osteoblasts, Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006; 341(4):122530. PMID: 16476583

  15. Chikazu D, Li X, Kawaguchi H, Sakuma Y, Voznesensky OS, Adams DJ, Xu M, Hoshi K, Katavic V, Herschman HR, Raisz LG, Pilbeam CC., Bone morphogenetic protein 2 induces cyclo-oxygenase 2 in osteoblasts via a Cbfa1 binding site: role in effects of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in vitro and in vivo. 2002, J Bone Miner Res. 2005; 20(10):1888-98. PMID: 16355502

  16. Persson E, Voznesensky OS, Huang YF, Lerner UH, Increased expression of interleukin-6 by vasoactive intestinal peptide is associated with regulation of CREB, AP-1 and C/EBP, but not NF-kappaB, in mouse calvarial osteoblasts, Bone. 2005; 37(4):513-29. PMID: 16085472

  17. Chikazu D, Li X, Kawaguchi H, Sakuma Y, Voznesensky OS, Adams DJ, Xu M, Hoshio K, Katavic V, Herschman HR, Raisz LG, Pilbeam CC., Bone morphogenetic protein 2 induces cyclo-oxygenase 2 in osteoblasts via a Cbfal binding site: role in effects of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in vitro and in vivo, J Bone Miner Res. 2002; 17(8):1430-40. PMID: 12162497

  18. Okada Y, Voznesensky O, Herschman H, Harrison J, Pilbeam C. Identification of multiple cis-acting elements mediating the induction of prostaglandin G/H synthase-2 by phorbol ester in murine osteoblastic cells. J Cell Biochem. 2000;78(2):197-209. PMID: 10842315.

  19. Pilbeam C, Rao Y, Voznesensky O, Kawaguchi H, Alander C, Raisz L, Herschman H. Transforming growth factor-beta1 regulation of prostaglandin G/H synthase-2 expression in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Endocrinology. 1997;138(11):4672-82. PMID: 9348193.

  20. Pilbeam CC, Kawaguchi H, Voznesensky OS, Alander CB, Raisz LG. Regulation of inducible prostaglandin G/H synthase by interleukin-1, transforming growth factors-alpha and -beta, and prostaglandins in bone cells. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1997;400B:617-23. PMID: 9547612.

  21. Kawaguchi H, Nemoto K, Raisz LG, Harrison JR, Voznesensky OS, Alander CB, Pilbeam CC. Interleukin-4 inhibits prostaglandin G/H synthase-2 and cytosolic phospholipase A2 induction in neonatal mouse parietal bone cultures. J Bone Miner Res. 1996;11(3):358-66. PMID: 8852946

  22. Pilbeam CC, Raisz LG, Voznesensky O, Alander CB, Delman BN, Kawaguchi H. Autoregulation of inducible prostaglandin G/H synthase in osteoblastic cells by prostaglandins. J Bone Miner Res. 1995;10(3):406-14. PMID: 7785462.

  23. Kawaguchi H, Raisz LG, Voznesensky OS, Alander CB, Hakeda Y, Pilbeam CC. Regulation of the two prostaglandin G/H synthases by parathyroid hormone, interleukin-1, cortisol, and prostaglandin E2 in cultured neonatal mouse calvariae. Endocrinology. 1994;135(3):1157-64. PMID: 8070358. Pilbeam CC, Kawaguchi H, Hakeda Y, Voznesensky O, Alander CB, Raisz LG. Differential regulation of inducible and constitutive prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. J Biol Chem. 1993;268(34):25643-9. PMID: 8245000.