2003 Krebs Lecture

2003 Edwin G. Krebs Lectureship in Molecular Pharmacology

The Sixteenth Annual Edwin G. Krebs Lecture in Molecular Pharmacology
Sponsored by an endowment from Sterling Winthrop, Inc.

presents:
Signal Transduction by Stress-activated Protein Kinases

by: Roger J. Davis, Ph.D.
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
and Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine,
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester

Tuesday, May 27, 2003
4:00 PM, Room T-625 HSC

Dr. Davis is interested in the mechanisms employed by cells to respond to extracellular stimulation, leading to the regulation of gene expression in the nucleus. The goal of his laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanism by which growth factors and cytokines regulate cellular proliferation and survival. A specific focus of our studies is to understand how MAP kinase signaling pathways, which are initiated at the cell surface, regulate the expression of genes in the nucleus.

These MAP kinase pathways include the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), the c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNKs), and the p38 MAP kinases. The methods that we are using include recombinant DNA technology, protein chemistry, somatic cell genetics, and general biochemical techniques.

The significance of this research is that there are many disease states, such as cancer, that are characterized by abnormal cellular proliferation. A detailed understanding of the molecular processes involved in the control of cell growth is required for the design of rational treatments for these diseases.