Richard D. Kolodner
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd.
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Primary Section: 41, Medical Genetics, Hematology, and Oncology Secondary Section: 21, Biochemistry Membership Type:
Member
(elected 2000)
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Research Interests
I seek to understand the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of genetic recombination and DNA repair, particularly those pathways that function to suppress chromosomal rearrangements and the accumulations of mutations due to errors in DNA metabolism. The pathways being investigated include DNA mismatch repair, homologous recombination, non-homologous end joining, the S-phase checkpoints, and the pathways that suppress the activity of telomerase on double strand breaks. Genetic approaches are being used to identify the genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that function in these pathways, and the proteins encoded by these genes are being studied to understand their biochemical function. We are also investigating whether the mouse and human homologs of the yeast genes identified play a role in cancer susceptibility, using patients suspected of inheriting increased risk for developing cancer.
