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| H. Earl Ruley, Ph.D. | |
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| David K. Cortez, Ph.D. |
Genome Maintenance Research Program
- Co-Leader: H. Earl Ruley, Ph.D.
Co-Leader: David Cortez, Ph.D.
Program Description
Scientific Goals
The scientific goals of the Genome Maintenance Program are to understand, at a molecular level, cellular processes important in mutagenesis and genome maintenance and to apply this understanding to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Activities of the Program designed to achieve these goals focus on the following:\
- Promote interactions among Program faculty to increase collaborative interactions and the exchange of ideas, technical expertise and reagents.
- Enhance the cancer focus of the research programs of participating faculty.
- Foster translational applications of basic science discoveries and technologies.
- Foster multi-investigator grants
Cancer Focus
All human cancers are caused by chemical carcinogens present in the environment or produced as by-products of normal cellular metabolism or by defects in genome maintenance. Research within the Program underscores the importance of carcinogens and life style factors as potentially avoidable causes of cancer and may suggest strategies to limit genetic damage by exogenous and endogenous carcinogens. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress associated with infectious agents and aging are also important in cancer etiology and provide attractive targets for cancer prevention. Finally, work in this area is expected to assist the development of new therapeutic strategies and new methods to identify individuals at risk of developing cancer and to predict therapeutic outcome.
Research Program Areas And Expertise
The Genome Maintenance program seeks to understand basic mechanisms important in chemical carcinogenesis and the cellular processes that guard against cancer, including DNA repair and error-free replication and transmission of genetic information. Research in the Genome Maintenance Program is focused in the following areas:
- Chemical carcinogenesis, including (i) endogenous carcinogens and mechanisms of carcinogen activation, (ii) biochemistry of DNA adducts and (iii) mutagenesis.
- DNA damage responses and repair.
- Replication of normal and damaged DNA templates
- DNA and chromatin structure and remodeling.
- Chromosome function.
Program Members
Program members and academic departmental affiliations are listed below.
- Walter J. Chazin, Ph.D., Chancellor's Prof Biochemistry and Physics, Director, Vanderbilt University Center for Structural Biology, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research
- David K. Cortez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
- Brandt F. Eichman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
- Sakina Eltom, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
- John H. Exton, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
- Michael L. Freeman, Ph.D., Professor
- David B. Friedman, Ph.D., Associate Director, Proteomics Laboratory, Research Assist Professor Biochemistry, Mass Spectrometry Research Center
- Katherine L. (Kathy) Friedman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
- Robert L. Galloway, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Kathleen L. Gould, Ph.D., Professor
- F. Peter Guengerich, Ph.D., Professor
- Thomas M. Harris, Ph.D., Orrin Henry Ingram Distinguished Prof of Engineering, Chair, Biomedical Engineering & Computing, Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Daniel Lee Kaplan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
- Laura A. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
- Lawrence J. Marnett, Ph.D., Director, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Mary Geddes Stahlman Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Pharmacology, Director, A.B. Hancock Jr. Memorial Laboratory, Director, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology
- Ryoma Ohi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
- Eugene M Oltz, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
- Neil Osheroff, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry and Medicine
- Ned A. Porter, Ph.D., Stevenson Professor and Chair of Chemistry
- H. Earl Ruley, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research
- James E. Sligh, M.D, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine (Dermatology) and Cell & Developmental Biology
- Michael P. Stone, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry
- Brian E. Wadzinski, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology
- Sandra Zinkel, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology and Cell & Developmental Biology
