Sarah Tarullo

Sarah Tarullo

Assistant Professor
Phone: (603) 535-2558
Office: PSU E&D Exploration & Discovery, Boyd Science Center, Plymouth, NH 03264
Pronouns: She/her/hers

Education

PhD – Cancer Biology – University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus

MS – Cellular and Molecular Biology – University of Massachusetts – Amherst

BS – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – University of Massachusetts – Amherst

Dr. Tarullo is a cancer biologist who joined the PSU Biology faculty in 2023 from the University of Minnesota where she was an NIH-IRACDA (Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award) postdoctoral fellow. Her research focuses on breast cancer and how tumor cells respond to changes in their microenvironment. Specifically, Dr. Tarullo is interested in how tumor cells respond to extracellular stress signals and the molecular mechanism(s) that may alter cell cycle progression and cancer cell’s ability to invade. Methods that are used in Dr. Tarullo’s lab to investigate these questions are techniques such as immunoblotting, tissue culture, immunohistochemistry, quantitative-PCR, and bioinformatic analysis. Currently she teaches Anatomy and Physiology I and Cell Biology. Outside of research and teaching, Sarah enjoys crafting, reading, gardening, and hiking.

Selected Publications

Tarullo, S.E., He, Y., Daughters, C., Knutson, T.P., Henzler, C.M., Price, M.A., Shanley, R., Witschen, P., Tolg, C., Kaspar, R.E., Hallstrom, C., Gittsovich, L., Sulciner, M.L., Zhang, X., Forster, C.L., Lange, C.A., Shats, O., Desler, M., Cowan, K.H., Yee, D., Schwertfeger, K.L., Turley, E.A., McCarthy, J.B. and Nelson, A.C. (2023), Receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM) defines an invasive niche associated with tumor progression and predicts poor outcomes in breast cancer patients. J. Pathol.. https://doi.org/10.1002/path.6082

Sarah E Tarullo, Ryan C Hill, Kirk Hansen, Fariba Behbod, Virginia F Borges, Andrew C Nelson, and Traci R Lyons. “Postpartum breast cancer progression is driven by semaphorin 7a mediated invasion and survival”. Oncogene. 2020 Mar;39(13):2772-2785. doi: 10.1038/s41388-020-1192-9. Epub 2020 Feb 4.PMID: 32020054

Taylor R Wallace,Sarah E Tarullo, Lyndsey S Crump, and Traci R Lyons­. “Studies of Postpartum mammary gland involution reveal novel pro-metastatic mechanisms” Studies of postpartum mammary gland involution reveal novel pro-metastatic mechanisms” Review. J Cancer Metastasis Treat. Epub Feb 19 2019. PMID: 30847405

Awards and Recognition

University of Minnesota Postdoc Award in Teaching and Mentoring 2022

IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellowship (K12) 2020-2023

CCTSI Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (T32) 2016-2017

Courses Taught

Anatomy and Physiology I (Lecture/Lab, BI 2110/2130)

Cell Structure and Function (BI 4100)