Randall T. Moon

Randall T. Moon was a Professor of Pharmacology at University of Washington where he was an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He was also the William and Marilyn Conner Chair and Founding Director of the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. For over 25 years Moon’s laboratory has focused on Wnts, which are a family of secreted proteins that activate receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways in many cell types, including stem cells. This work has shown that cells in developing embryos, and adult stem and progenitor cells, respond to Wnts through changes in cell proliferation, cell fate, and cell behavior. Research in Moon’s laboratory also suggests that inhibiting Wnt signaling might be therapeutic for several major diseases, and that activating Wnt signaling may promote regenerative responses to acute injuries. To begin to translate these and other insights into new therapies, in 2006 Moon joined with faculty colleagues Drs. Tony Blau and Chuck Murry to establish the University of Washington Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. Moon has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the Washington State Academy of Sciences in addition to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Syntex Scholar in Cardiovascular Research, and the recipient of a Career Development Award from the NIH, and a L.L. Temple Award from the Alzheimer’s Association. His numerous publications appear in journals such as Blood, Cell,  Nature Cell Biology, Development, and The Journal of Cell Biology.