SELF EXAM:

Occupation: Cancer Scientist

Alternative career choice: Would have loved to have been a musician or a journalist if I could still be a cancer scientist!

What do rock stars and scienctists have in common: They approach their careers with passion, dedication and persistence – and success depends on all of these plus the degree of their creative talents.

Musical Instrument I Play: Guitar & Piano

I tend to approach life: With love for the endeavor and all the wonders life offers, including, the joy of my family and for the satisfaction that science brings me.

Biggest misconceptions about me or my work: That so many scientists don't love multiple aspects of life in concert with the passion they have for their work.

Worst part-time job ever: Washing glassware in a lab rather than eventually participating in the science!

Longest med school study session: There were many consisting of overnight study sessions.

Best moment in medicine/research: This will be the next one to come in terms of seeing patients respond to therapies based on concepts developed in the lab and the next promise of an exciting breakthrough for understanding cancer. Scientists and rock stars should look forward!

ABOUT MY RESEARCH:

Disease Area: I am a cancer biologist who is leading an effort in the Stand Up To Cancer to bring epigenetic therapy to the forefront of cancer management.

Research Area: I am a cancer biologist who leads an effort to understand the origins and consequences of epigenetic abnormalities in multiple human cancer types.

Science Impact/Accomplishments or Goal: We have fostered the concept that DNA hypermethylation of genes, and associated transcriptional silencing, can serve as an alternative to mutations for producing losses of key gene functions. We have defined some of the classic genes involved, invented approaches to randomly screen for such genes, and demonstrated the importance of such genes in cancer progression. We are also helping to unravel the molecular mechanisms responsible for the above abnormal gene silencing. Finally, we are helping to drive the concept that reversal of the epigenetic abnormalities we are studying will provide a new and robust strategy for the treatment of major cancer types. Regarding the above work, and others areas of cancer biology, our group has authored or co-authored over 375 full-length publications.

Research Description: For the last 20 years, I, along with my colleagues, have studied the role of epigenetic gene silencing in the initiation and progression of human cancer. Our goals are to define the mechanisms that cause these abnormalities, to define the genes involved, to derive approaches to randomly screen for such genes, and to demonstrate their functional role in cancer progression. Ultimately, we wish utilize all of our findings for the translational purposes of preventing and treating cancer in new ways.

Videos courtesy of Stand Up To Cancer.