Piers Nash

Piers David Nash (born August 8, 1969) is the Senior Director of Campaign Planning for Academic Research at the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences Division. He is the son of Roger Nash and Chris Nash (Bronwen Christine Harrhy), and brother of Caedmon Nash.

Born in Exeter, England, he received a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Guelph. He received a Ph.D in 1999 from the University of Alberta working in the laboratory of Dr. Grant McFadden investigating poxviral immunomodulatory proteins. His doctoral thesis focused on the enzymology and biological properties of the Myxoma virus encoded serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin), SERP-1. He completed postdoctoral research with Dr. Tony Pawson at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto from June 1999 to December 2003. He was a Professor in The Ben May Department for Cancer Research and a Scientist of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Chicago from 2004-2012 and a Fellow of the Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology from 2006-2012. As a scientist he investigates protein-protein interactions involved in signal transduction, and the molecular mechanisms by which cells respond to external cues. His work at The University of Chicago focused on understanding the SH2 domain at a systems level and investigating the role of ubiquitination in controlling endocytosis and modulating signal transduction. Earlier work focused on emergent properties of complex systems such as ultrasensitivity (all-or-none switches) at critical junctures in the cell cycle.

According to ResearchGate, Piers Nash has 47 peer-reviewed published works in a wide range of fields, including signal transduction, cell biology, molecular evolution, cell cycle, cognition and memory, meteorology, and pedagogy. According to Scopus, he has an h-index of 20 and 2862 citations on 41 publications tracked in that database. Google Scholar reports 3565 citations, an h-index of 21 and an i10-index of 31 on 55 publications.

Research Papers

 * Nash, P. (1984). "Differential Effects of Wind Speed on Low Temperature Evaporation", Chinook 6: 92-93.
 * Nash, C. H., and Nash, P. (1986). "Correlates of Colour Memory: A Neglected Field of Research", Future Health 8: 15-16.
 * Nash, P., and Davison, L. (1989). "What gifted secondary school students tell about their school programs", Canadian Journal of Education. 14: 109-118.
 * Maksymowych, W. P., Nation, N., Nash, P., Macen, J., McFadden, G., Lucas, A., and Russell, A. S. (1996). Amelioration of established antigen-induced arthritis in rabbits treated with a secreted viral serine proteinase inhibitor. Journal of Rheumatology 23 (5): 878-882.
 * Lucas, A., Liu, L., Macen, J. L., Nash, P., Dai, E., Stewart, M., Yan, W., Graham, K., Etches, W., Boshkov, L., Nation, P. N., Humen, D., Hobman, M., and McFadden, G. (1996). A virus-encoded serine proteinase inhibitor, SERP-1, inhibits atherosclerotic plaque development following balloon angioplasty. Circulation, 94 (11): 2890-2900.
 * Nash, P., Whitty, A., Handwerker, J., Macen, J., and McFadden, G. (1998) Inhibitory specificity of the anti-inflammatory myxoma virus serpin, SERP-1. Journal of Biological Chemistry 273 (33): 20982-20991.
 * Christov, A., Dai, E., Liu, L., Miller, L.W., Nash, P., Lalani, A., McFadden, G., Nation, P.N., Tulip, J., and Lucas, A. (1999). Detection of transplant vasculopathy in a rat aortic allograft model by fluorescence spectroscopic optical analysis. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 24: 346-359.
 * Miller, L., Dai, E., Nash, P., Liu, L., Icton, C., Klironomous, D., Fan, L., Nation, P. N., Zhong, R., McFadden, G., Lucas, A. (2000) Inhibition of transplant vasculopathy in a rat aortic model after infusion of an anti-inflammatory viral serpin. Circulation 101: 1598-1605.
 * Lucas, A., Dai, E., Liu, L., Guan, H., Nash, P., Mcfadden, G., Miller, L. (2000) Transplant vasculopathy: viral anti-inflammatory serpin regulation of atherogenesis. The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 19: 1029-1038.
 * Nash, P., Barry, M., Seet, B., Jahns, K., Hota, S., Heger, J., Hodgkinson, C., Graham, K., Jackson, R., McFadden, G. (2000) Post-translational modification of the myxoma virus anti-inflammatory serpin, SERP-1. Biochemical Journal 347: 375-382.
 * Christov, A., Dai, E., Drangova, M., Liu, L., Abela, G.S., Nash, P., McFadden, G. and Lucas, A. (2000) Optical Detection of Triggered Atherosclerotic Plaque Disruption by Fluorescence Emission Analysis. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 72 (2): 242–252
 * Nash, P., McFadden, G. and Whitty, A. (2000) The application of linear free energy relationships to SERPIN mechanism. FEBS Letters 475: 1-6.
 * Nash, P., Tang, X., Orlicky, S., Chen, Q., Gertler, F.B., Mendenhall, M.D., Sicheri, F., Pawson, T., Tyers, M. (2001) Multi-site phosphorylation of a CDK inhibitor sets a threshold for the onset of DNA replication. Nature 414: 514-521.
 * This article was the focus of the following reviews and comments:
 * Ferrell, J. E. Jr. (2001) Six steps to destruction Nature 414: 498-499.
 * Deshaies, R.J. and Ferrell, J. E. Jr. (2002) Multisite Phosphorylation and the Countdown to S Phase. Cell 107: 819-822.
 * Harper, J. W. (2002) A phosphorylation-driven ubiquitination switch for cell-cycle control. Trends in Cell Biology ::12(3): 104-107.
 * Tromans, A. (2001) Highlights of the Week: Switching on S-Phase. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2:873.
 * Adler, E.M. Gough, N.R., Ray, L.B. (2004) 2003:Signaling Breakthroughs of the Year. Sci. STKE 2004: 214, eg1.


 * Nash, P., Berry, D., Liu, S., Pawon, T., McGlade, J. (2002). A high affinity Arg-X-X-Lys SH3-binding motif confers specificity for the interaction between Gads and SLP-76 in T-cell signaling. Current Biology 12: 1336-1341.
 * Tong, J., Elowe, S., Nash, P., Pawson, T. (2003) Manipulation of EphB2 regulatory motifs and SH2 binding sites switches MAP kinase signaling and biological activity. Journal of Biological Chemistry 278: 6111-6119.
 * Bladt, F., Aippersbach, E., Gelkop, S., Strasser, G. A., Nash, P., Tafuri, A., Gertler, F., Pawson, T. (2003) The murine Nck SH2/SH3 adaptors regulate mesoderm-derived embryonic structures in vivo and the cellular actin network. Molecular and Cellular Biology 23 (13): 4586-4597.
 * Liu, Q., Nash, P., Berry, D., Pawson, T., McGlade, J., Li, S. (2003) Structural Basis for Specific Binding of the Gads SH3 domain to an RXXK Motif-containing Slp-76 Peptide: A Novel Mode of Peptide Recognition. Molecular Cell 11: 471-481.
 * Leong, H., Sloan, J.R., Nash, P.D. and Greene, G.L. (2005) Recruitment of histone deacetylase 4 to the N-terminal region of estrogen receptor alpha. Molecular Endocrinology 19(12): 2930-42.
 * Dai E, Viswanathan K, Sun YM, Li X, Liu L, Togonu-Bickersteth B, Richardson J, Macaulay C, Nash P, Turner P, Nazarian SH, Moyer R, McFadden G, Lucas AR. (2006) Identification of myxomaviral serpin reactive site loop sequences that regulate innate immune responses. Journal of Biological Chemistry 281(12):8041-50.
 * Liu, B.A., Jablonowski, K., Raina, M., Arcé, M., Pawson, T., and Nash, P.D. (2006) The Human and Mouse Complement of SH2 Domain Proteins – establishing the boundaries of phosphotyrosine signaling. Molecular Cell 22: 851-868.
 * Zhang M, Veselits M, O'Neill S, Hou P, Reddi AL, Berlin I, Ikeda M, Nash PD, Longnecker R, Band H, Clark MR. (2007) Ubiquitinylation of Ig beta dictates the endocytic fate of the B cell antigen receptor. Journal of Immunology 179(7):4435-43.
 * Machida K, Thompson CM, Dierck K, Jablonowski K, Kärkkäinen S, Liu B, Zhang H, Nash PD, Newman DK, Nollau P, Pawson T, Renkema GH, Saksela K, Schiller MR, Shin DG, Mayer BJ. (2007) High-throughput phosphotyrosine profiling using SH2 domains. Molecular Cell 26(6):899-915.
 * Sierra MI, Wright MH, Nash PD.(2010) AMSH interacts with ESCRT-0 to regulate the stability and trafficking of CXCR4. J. Biol Chem. 2010 Apr 30;285(18):13990-4004.
 * Liu BA, Jablonowski K, Shah EE, Engelmann BW, Jones RB, Nash PD. (2010) SH2 domains recognize contextual peptide sequence information to determine selectivity. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 9, 2391-2404. Journal cover
 * Berlin I, Schwartz H, Nash PD. (2010) Regulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor ubiquitination and trafficking by the USP8/STAM complex. J. Biol Chem. 285: 34909-34921.
 * Berlin, I., Higginbotham, K.M. Dise, R.S. Sierra, M.I. and Nash, P.D. (2010) The Deubiquitinating Enzyme USP8 Promotes Trafficking and Degradation of the Chemokine Receptor at the Sorting Endosome. J. Biol. Chem. 285: 37895-37908.
 * Liu, B.A., Shah, E., Jablonowski, K., Stergachis, A.B., Engelmann, B.W., and Nash, P.D. The SH2 domain-containing proteins in 21 species establish the provenance and scope of phosphotyrosine signaling in Eukaryotes. Research Article. Science Signaling 2011 4(202):1-17. Dec 6, 2011. Journal cover.
 * Liu, B.A., Engelmann, B.W., Jablonowski, K., Higginbotham, K., Stergachis, A.S., Nash, P.D. SRC Homology 2 Domain Binding Sites in Insulin, IGF-1 and FGF receptor mediated signaling networks reveal an extensive potential interactome. Cell Communication and Signaling. 2012 Sep 14;10(1):27.

Book Chapters

 * Nash, P., Lucas, A., and McFadden, G. SERP-1, A Poxvirus-Encoded Serpin, Is Expressed as a Secreted Glycoprotein that Inhibits the Inflammatory Response to Myxoma Virus Infection. "The SERPINS", Plenum Press, New York.  Chapter 19: 195-205 (1997).
 * Lalani, A., Nash, P., Seet, B., Robichaud, J. and McFadden, G. (1999) Interaction of DNA virus proteins with host cytokines. In DNA Viruses: A Practical Approach. Chapter 7, pages 177-208 Ed. A. Cann. Practical Approach Series. Oxford University Press.
 * Zalai, C. V., Nash, P., Dai, E., Liu, L., Lucas, A. The Potential Role of Serine Proteinase Inhibitors for the Prevention of Plaque Rupture. Cardiovascular Plaque Rupture. DL Brown (editor), Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, NY 1999.
 * Pawson, T., and Nash, P. (2003) Modular protein interaction domains in cellular communication. Handbook of Cell Signaling. Volume 1. Chapter 67, pages 379-385.
 * Pawson, T., Gish, G.D., and Nash, P. (2004) The SH2 domain: a prototype for protein interaction domains. In “Modular Protein Domains” ed. Cesareni, G. et al. Chapter 1, pages 5–36, Wiley VCH Press.
 * Pawson, T., and Nash, P. (2009) Modular protein interaction domains in cellular communication. Handbook of Cell Signaling 2nd edition. Ralph Bradshaw & Edward Dennis (Editors). Volume 1. Chapter 57.

Review Articles

 * Nash, P. D., Opas, M., and Michalak, M. (1994) Calreticulin: not just another calcium binding protein. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 135: 71-78.
 * McFadden, G., Graham, K., Ellison, K., Barry, M., Macen, J., Schreiber, M., Mossman, K., Nash, P., Lalani, A., and Everett, H. (1995). Interruption of cytokine networks by poxviruses: lessons from myxoma virus. Journal of Leukocyte Biology 57: 731-738.
 * McFadden, G., Lalani, A., Everett, H., Nash, P., and Xu, X. (1998) Virus-encoded receptors for cytokines and chemokines. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 9: 359-368.
 * Nash, P., Barrett, J., Cao, J., Hota-Mitchell, S., Lalani, A., Everett, H., Xu, X., Robichaud, J., Hnatiuk, S., Ainslie, C., Seet, B., and McFadden, G. (1999) Poxvirus immunomodulatory proteins are a window to the immune system: the myxoma virus story. Immunological Reviews 168: 103-120.
 * Xu, X., Nash, P., McFadden, G. (2000) Myxoma virus expresses a TNF receptor homolog with two distinct functions. Virus Genes 21 (1/2): 97-104.
 * Pawson, T. and Nash, P. (2000) Protein-protein interactions define specificity in signal transduction. Genes & Development 14 (9): 1027–1047.
 * Pawson, T., Gish, G., Nash, P. (2001). SH2 domains, interaction modules and cellular wiring. Trends in Cell Biology 11(12): 504-511.
 * Pawson, T., Raina, M., Nash, P. (2002). Interaction domains: From simple binding events to complex cellular behaviour. FEBS Letters 513: 2-10.
 * Pawson, T. & Nash, P. (2003) Assembly of cell regulatory systems through protein interaction domains. Science 300: 445-452.
 * This was the focus of the following review:
 * Gough, N.R., Adler, E.A., & Ray, L. B., Cellular Regulation through Protein Interaction Domains. An Editorial Guide appearing in Science magazine’s Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment (STKE) Vol. 2003, Issue 179, 22 April 2003.


 * Wright MH, Berlin I, Nash PD. (2010) Regulation of Endocytic Sorting by ESCRT-DUB-Mediated Deubiquitination. Cell Biochem Biophys. 60(1-2):39-46.
 * Liu BA, Engelmann BW, Nash PD. (2012) High-throughput analysis of peptide-binding modules. Proteomics. 2012 May;12(10):1527-46. doi: 10.1002/pmic.201100599.
 * Liu, B.A., Engelmann, B.W., Nash, P.D. The language of SH2 domain interactions defines phosphotyrosine-mediated signal transduction. FEBS Letters 2012 Aug 14;586(17):2597-605.
 * Nash, P.D. Why Modules Matter. FEBS Letters. 2012 Aug 14;586(17):2572-4.
 * Liu, B.A., and Nash, P.D. Evolution of SH2 domains and phosphotyrosine signalling networks. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Lond B Biol Sci. 2012 Sep 19;367(1602):2556-73.

Honors and awards
1992-1994	NSERC Graduate Fellowship

1992-1994	University of Alberta Walter Johns Award

1992-1997	AHFMR Graduate Fellowship

1996-1997	University of Alberta Walter Johns Award

1997-1998	University of Alberta Dissertation Scholarship

1999	               NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (declined)

1999-2002	MRC/CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

2002	               NCIC Postdoctoral Fellowship (declined)

2002-2004	CIHR Senior Research Fellowship

2005	               Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Award

2005-2006	Leukemia Research Foundation New Investigator Award

2006-2008     Jimmy V Foundation Scholar