Bruce E. Clurman, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Member, Director of Clinical Research Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Dr. Clurman is a cancer biologist whose research focuses on the cell cycle of normal cells and the mechanisms responsible for the deregulation of cell cycle proteins in cancer cells. Specifically, Dr. Clurman's research is aimed at understanding the deregulation of the cell cycle in cancer cells with the ultimate goal of developing new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of cancer. This important work may also be applied to the processes of wound healing, recuperation following bone marrow transplantation, and to stem cell transplants and gene therapy protocols. Judith Frydman, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Stanford University Dr. Frydman's research explores an emerging area of cell biology - how proteins fold within the cell. Specifically, her research team aims to examine how molecules called chaperonins participate in protein folding as it occurs at the ribosome during synthesis. The importance of this work may be seen in light of recent findings indicating proteins that fail to fold correctly may lead to diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Creutzfeldt-Jakob and cystic fibrosis as well as some forms of cancer. Dr. Frydman's research into protein folding inside mammalian cells is viewed as some of the most innovative in the area of chaperonin-mediated protein folding. Mark B. Gerstein, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Yale University Dr. Gerstein's work has focused on solving key problems in structural biology and genomics using both computational and theoretical approaches. He plans to build a library of protein folds and compare genomes of various infectious organisms to create a broader understanding of disease processes at the level of the entire organism, rather than at the level of a single gene or molecule. This important resource has practical applications in the design and use of drug protocols aimed at ameliorating specific pathogens. Partho Ghosh, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of California, San Diego Dr. Ghosh uses protein crystallography and recombinant DNA expression biochemistry to understand how infectious microbes gain entry to mammalian cells. His research team investigates the interactions that occur between host cells and pathogens that leads to disease. Understanding the structures of proteins involved in virulence and in innate immunity can be used to probe the function of these molecules and help identify specific cellular targets for new drugs or vaccines. Phyllis I. Hanson, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology & Physiology Washington University in St. Louis Dr. Hanson explores the protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions at neuronal synapses, particularly the release of substances across the membrane. This work has the potential to lead to an understanding of the molecular processes responsible for synaptic function, and ultimately, how changes in neurotransmitter traffic across the synaptic cell membrane affects learning and the development of diseases like Alzheimer's. 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999