Academic Background

Roger J. Davis received his BA (1979) and his PhD (1983) from the Department of Biochemistry at Cambridge University (U.K.). He received a Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Fund Fellowship to do postdoctoral work at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Following his postdoctoral work, he remained at the University of Massachusetts Medical School as a faculty member. He is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Mechanisms by which growth factors regulate cellular proliferation

The goal of this 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.

Figure

Figure Legend

Schematic representation of the human MAP kinase signal transduction pathway network.

Rotation Projects

Laboratory rotations are available to study signal mammalian transduction mechanisms. Several projects are available, including studies of protein kinase cascades, gene expression, the cell cycle, and apoptosis. Targeted gene disruption approaches in mice combined with biochemical and molecular biology studies will be examined.