Molecular Pharmacology, Toxicology & Experimental Therapeutics

Michael Cole, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Genetics, Norris Cotton Cancer Center Member
Research Description: Molecular basis of cancer; with emphasis on the role of transcription factors and chromatin modification on tumor cell growth with major emphasis on the Myc oncogen family and its role in the growth of both cancer and normal cells.

Ruth W. Craig, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Understanding how a key regulator of cell viability discovered in the laboratory, MCL1, contributes to tumorigenesis and can be targeted for cancer therapy.

Joyce A. DeLeo, Ph.D.

Professor of Anesthesiology and Irene Heinz Given Professor and Chair of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Director of the Neuroscience Center at Dartmouth
Research Description: Neuropharmacology; Neuroimmunology: Mechanisms that lead to chronic pain with a focus on spinal neuroimmune responses. Central neuroimmune activation and neuroinflammation play a key role in generating chronic pain. Utilization of molecular, cellular, and in vivo behavioral pharmacological approaches with the ultimate goal to develop novel, non-addictive therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of chronic neuropathic and low back pain.

James DiRenzo, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Regulation of proliferation, self-renewal and cellular differentiation in mammary epithelial stem cells. Mammary gland carcinogenesis, tumor stem cell theory, genetic control over stem cell renewal.

Ethan Dmitrovsky, M.D.

Andrew G. Wallace Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor
Research Description: Translational research (bench to bedside) and studies of vitamin A derivatives known as retinoids and their roles in tumor cell differentiation therapy and chemoprevention.

Alan R. Eastman, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Director, Molecular Therapeutics Program, NCCC;
Director, PEMM
Research Description: Cancer chemotherapy. Mechanisms of drug action: unbiased screen for novel drug targets and identification of selective anticancer drugs. Novel drug combinations: modulation of cell cycle arrest induced by DNA damaging agents; modulation of Bcl-2 proteins to enhance apoptosis.

Alexei F. Kisselev, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Norris Cotton Cancer Center
Research Description: Mechanisms of selective killing of malignant cells by proteasome inhibitors; development and therapeutic application of specific inhibitors of proteasome different active sites; potential new targets in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Murray Korc, M.D.

Joseph M. Huber Professor of Medicine, Chairman Department of Medicine, and Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Mechanisms of action of growth factors, and the role of growth factors and their receptors in carcinogenesis, especially as it relates to enhanced mitogenic signaling, enhanced angiogenesis, and attenuated growth suppressive effects in pancreatic cancer.

Lionel D. Lewis, M.D.

Professor of Medicine and of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: The study of novel antineoplastic agents and their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics when first given to cancer patients (i.e. first time in man, Phase I studies of new drugs in cancer patients); mechanisms of toxicity of nucleoside analogues and antineoplastic agents to the mitochondrion and ways of ameliorating this toxicity.

Christopher H. Lowrey, M.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology) and of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Role of epigenetics and cell stress signaling in normal and disease-related blood cell production; development of novel pharmacologic therapies for sickle cell disease, thalassemia and leukemia.

Raymond P. Perez, M.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine and of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Associate Director for Clinical Research, Norris Cotton Cancer Center
Research Description: Clinical pharmacology and early trials of anticancer agents, particularly molecular targeted therapies; Mechanism of action and proof-of-principle for novel drugs and combinations; Modulation of signal transduction and cell death, particularly focused on endogenous inhibitors of receptor-kinase mediated signaling and downstream determinants of sensitivity to apoptosis.

Bill D. Roebuck, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Modulation of acute and chronic toxicity and carcinogenic processes by cancer chemopreventive agents; evaluation of the effects of dietary dithiolethiones on prevention of liver cancer; chemoprevention of cancer.

Yolanda Sanchez, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Checkpoint signaling events triggered during the response to DNA damage or replication interference, how they regulate cell cycle progression, DNA repair and cell death. The role of checkpoints in the etiology of cancer and as drug targets for therapeutic enhancers of genotoxic cancer drugs.

Mark Spaller, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Chemistry
Research Description: Discovery and development of cellular probes and therapeutic agents targeting protein-protein interactions; chemical biology; peptide and organic small molecule synthesis; combinatorial chemistry; chemical libraries for in vitro and cell-based screening; biophysical analysis of protein-ligand interactions.

Michael J. Spinella, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Mechanistic links between stem cell pluripotency and cancer and identification of downstream genes signaling induced differentiation of solid tumors, especially in response to retinoids; finding causative genes in those tumors that are cured with differentiation and cytotoxic therapy.

Michael B. Sporn, M.D.

Oscar M. Cohn '34 Professor in Residence of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Description: Chemoprevention of cancer, especially by retinoids and other ligands of the steroid receptor superfamily; peptide growth factors, especially transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and its mechanism of action; development of new natural products for prevention of cancer.

Craig Tomlinson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine and of Pharmacology and Toxicology.
Research Description: Our laboratory studies the role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in adult-onset diseases from in utero exposures to environmental toxicants, pancreatic cancer, and the development of high throughput genomics as a tool to predict the outcome of gene/environment interactions.