Leadership

Gerd Pfeifer, Ph.D., professor and chair, Department of Biology and co-leader of City of Hope’s Cancer Biology Program, is the first awardee of the Lester M. and Irene C. Finkelstein Chair in Biology. This generous endowment supports the Department’s efforts to gain a more complete understanding of the basic genetic, molecular, and biological mechanisms of cancer. Researchers are applying newfound discoveries related to mechanisms of cancer development (known as carcinogenesis) to develop powerful approaches to cancer prevention and improved diagnostic tools for early detection of cancer, when it is most treatable.

Dr. Pfeifer is renowned for his research pinpointing molecular changes that occur in the DNA of tumor cells. Most notably, his efforts helped identify the molecular link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. The National Institutes of Health recently awarded him the largest of eight national grants as part of The Cancer Genome Atlas project, which aims to develop innovative technologies to detect and treat cancer.

Laboratory Research

Wen Yong Chen, Ph.D.  –  Epigenetics, Cancer and Aging
Dr. Chen’s laboratory explores how epigenetic regulation controls mammalian longevity and cancer development.  This may lead to fresh approaches in both anti-aging and anticancer applications. 

Gerd P. Pfeifer, Ph.D.  –  Molecular Carcinogenesis; Cancer Epigenetics
City of Hope investigates the etiology (origin) of human cancer – this laboratory studies both mutagenic and epigenetic mechanisms leading to carcinogenesis. Significant research involves molecular mechanisms related to photodamage-mediated skin cancer and the link between smoking and lung cancer.

Arthur D. Riggs, Ph.D. - DNA Methylation; X-Chromosome Inactivation.
This laboratory studies gene regulation and mammalian development, X-chromosome inactivation, DNA methylation and epigenetic mechanisms. These mechanisms affect normal development as well as the cancer development.

Judith Singer-Sam, Ph.D. – Monoallelic Expression in the Central Nervous System
Genes have two alleles, both of which are normally expressed.  When only one of the two alleles is expressed, disease states may result. Our goal is to understand the mechanism and extent of imprinting and monoallelic expression, and their possible relevance to inherited disorders of the central nervous system, such as Prader-Willi/Angelman Syndrome.

Richard Ermel, D.V.M., M.P.V.M., Ph.D., is engaged in applied research in experimental biology and comparative/laboratory animal medicine.

Gerald P. Holmquist, Ph.D.  –  Mutagenesis
This group investigates how mutations are induced by mutagens and if these mutations are present in tumors. We also seek to understand how spontaneous mutagenesis determines the sequence of a genome.

Timothy R. O’Connor, Ph.D. – DNA Repair
The study of DNA repair focuses on understanding the origins of mutations leading to cancer and the mechanisms of DNA repair of such mutations. This knowledge may enable scientists to predict the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, as well as discern how DNA damage caused by these treatments may be repaired. Our research is centered on these areas: repair of DNA damage, accessory proteins in DNA repair, and repair in human cells at the level of nucleotide resolution.