David J. Riese Franklin Professor

We study the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) family of peptide hormones and their receptors, the ErbB receptor tyrosine kinases. This network regulates the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells and deregulated signaling by this network contributes to human tumorigenesis and increased tumor cell invasiveness, metastatic potential, and chemoresistance.

Research:

• ERBB4 Signaling and ERBB4 Inhibitors
• ERBB4 in Human Tumors

Our work is focused on characterizing signal transduction by the signaling network comprised of EGF family peptide growth factors and ErbB family receptor tyrosine kinases. We are interested in deciphering the roles that these growth factors and receptors play in human malignancies. We are interested in how signaling specificity of this network is conferred and regulated. And we are particularly interested in developing novel cancer chemotherapeutic agents that leverage our emergent insights into this signaling network.

Research:

• Mechanisms of ERBB4 signaling
• EGF family hormones
• ERBB4 in human tumors

Current work explores signaling specificity by receptor tyrosine kinases. Our goals is the development of novel therapeutic, staging, and diagnostic paradigms based on insights we glean from basic, mechanistic studies of receptor tyrosine kinase signal transduction.

My research group is focused on members of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family of peptide hormones and their receptors, members of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases.  We are particularly interested in mechanisms of signaling specificity and the roles that these hormones and receptors play in human malignancies.  We are also interested in translating these mechanistic insights into targeted cancer therapies.  Current areas of interest include melanoma, breast cancer, and childhood brain tumors.