Juanita L. Merchant

Merchant was the first to demonstrate that EGF and cytokines directly stimulate gastrin gene expression, key to the pathophysiology of H. pylori infection and neoplastic transformation. Her lab has dissected the role of bacterial colonization, chronic atrophic gastritis, immune cell recruitment, and sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling in intestinal neoplasia pathogenesis. She was the first to clone the zinc finger transcription, ZBP-89, and demonstrated its role in the regulation of serotonin production, immune response, and the development of colonic polyps. Dr. Merchant is the recipient of numerous awards and is a key leader in US academic medicine.