George Hemstreet, MD, PhD

Department

• Urology

Position

• Professor

• Work with Urology Resident at the VA as Resident Site Director

Dr. Hemstreet as a clinician scientist obtained his Ph.D. following his medical training in Microbiology and Immunology. After completing his surgical residency his career developed as a clinical urologist and basic science researcher by utilizing his immunological background as it applied to tumor immunology and infectious disease and later to biophysical cytochemistry. Subsequently his career interests focused on the development of and validation of quantitative fluorescence image analysis for assaying proteins in single cells and more recently to the area of tissues proteomics (zeptomole level with a 15% variance). Early in his career he pioneered the field of molecular epidemiology and biomarkers when he scientific and medical director of Notification and Screening Program for workers exposed to aniline dyes sponsored by Workers Institute and NIOSH. This study contributed to defining the then new discipline of molecular epidemiology. The microscope based fluorescence technique used in this study was automated incorporating fluorescence imaging. This technology was later recognized by the National Research Council where Dr. Hemstreet served as Vice Committee for the committee on Biomarkers in Urinary Toxicology. The two year sojourn spawned the EDRN and served as a basis for increasing the funding for cancer prevention at the NCI. This leadership imitative was preceded by the programming of a fluorescence microscope for single cell proteomics. The sensitivity of this methodology defined alterations in nuclear and cytoplasmic actin depolymerization (G-actin/F-actin ratio) explaining the cardinal single cell signature of malignancy (nuclear cytoplasmic ratio). The instrumentation and the analysis of over 15,000 samples scientifically validated Slaughter”s hypothesis of molecular field disease in bladder cancer biopsy specimens which subsequently was further verified by a large bladder cancer six year longitudinal cohort study in five Chinese provinces. These concepts were vitally important for the integrated conceptual appreciation of biomarkers as it related to defining malignant associated dysplasia’s (Linxien Study) that heralded the malignant cancer phenotype. During these studies Dr. Hemstreet was the founder of a biomedical research company CytoDiagnostics which became the centerpiece and financial backbone for the establishment the Biomedical Research Park Associated with the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. The role of biomarkers for pharmacological monitoring of drug effects on cellular differentiation so key to chemoprevention was introduced. More recently, a method was developed for studying the proteomic changes in the human tissues microenvironment, a concept initially hypothesized in the National Research Council Report.

Articles

• , 77(16), 1573-1582
• , 2(3), e47 130-34
• , 8(2), 240-62

Publications

• , 14(5), 509-19
• , 36(1), 57-65
• , 79(3), 633-637
• , 27(5), 1099-1102
• , vol. 2011, Article ID 216169, 8 pages
• , 163, 425-7
• , Nov-Dec;36(6), 710-5; discussion 715-7.
• , 2011, PMID: 22110982
• , 126(2), 315-27
• , 74(5), 1174-9
• , Jul-Aug;34(4), 401-11; discussion 412
• , 14(1), 224-9
• , 121(7), 1637-9; author reply 1640-1
• , 5(7), 714-36
• , (16)7:, 1371-1381
• , 23(6), 407-12
• , 18(1), 161-8
• , 66(6 Suppl 1), 64-74
• , 66 (6 suppl 1), 35-63
• , 23(6), 407-12
• , 65(6), 1086-9
• , 65:(2), 483-492
• , 9, 2671-9
• , 63(1), 51-5
• , 310(3):, 1032-8
• , 307(2), 254-60
• , 23(4), 3119-28
• , 93(6), 427-36
• , 17(1), 68-70
• , 167(5), 2215-21
• , 32(4), 924-6, 928-30, 932
• , 89(2), 412-13
• , 24(5), 464-72

Editing and Reviews

• , 166(5), 1665

Current Research Projects

• Current research interest resides in defining the utility of modern mass spectroscopy for biomarker discovery and validation by quantitative fluorescence imaging relative to phosphoproteomic signaling.

• Unemed New Invention Contributor 2009, UNMC, 2009
• #5997519 - Fluid Collection Device, 1998
• #5824495 - Cell Fixative & Preparation Composition Kit & Method, 1997
• #5735834 - Fluid Collection Device, 1996
• #5741648 - Cell Analysis Method using QFIA, 1996
• Citation for Meritorious Services to the Oklahoma City Bombing Victims, American Medical Association, 1995
• #5599331 - Fluid Collection Device, 1995
• Biological Markers in Urinary Toxicology, National Research Council, ed. Washington, DC, 1995
• Honorable Visiting Professor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China, 1995
• #5380289 - Fluid Collection Device, 1993
• #5733721 - Cell Analysis Method using Quantitative Fluorescence Image Analysis (QFIA), 1992
• #5387191 - Flushing Needle, 1991
• George Lynn Cross Research Professorship, The University of Oklahoma, 1991
• #5081999 - Biosample Aspirator, 1990
• #4982739 - Biosample Aspirator, 1989
• Visiting Professor, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 1987
• Young Investigators Award, NIH, 1978