Kevin Struhl

David Wesley Gaiser Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. Founded the field of molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in yeast by cloning the first gene, developing the first yeast vectors, and dissecting the first promoter region. Research has revealed fundamental principles of gene regulation in all eukaryotic organisms including mechanisms of transcriptional initiation, activation, repression, and the role of chromatin.  More recent work has involved the discovery of a new type of step in cancer progression, an epigenetic switch involving an self-reinforcing inflammatory pathway, as well as experiments indicating a potential use of the diabetes drug metformin in cancer treatment and/or prevention.