Prof. Forest M White

The focus of research in Professor White's lab is the identification of protein phosphorylation events regulating signal transduction cascades associated with cancer and other biological processes. With mass spectrometry-based technology, identification of protein phosphorylation occurs on a global scale, allowing for mapping of complex signal transduction cascades in a variety of biological samples. Initially, we will apply the technology to cancer, starting with human cell lines and progressing to a variety of other model systems, with the goal of analyzing staged human clinical samples. Elucidation of signal transduction cascades involved in oncogenesis, cancer progression, and metastasis will generate both novel drug targets and a host of biological markers, allowing for early diagnosis and tracking of cancer progression. A variety of other applications will be pursued, including mapping the phosphorylation events associated with DNA damage response and cell cycle regulation.