How molecular medicine & precision genomics are revolutionizing cancer therapy w/ Chuck Clevenger MD

Chuck Clevenger, MD, PhD is a Professor and Chair of Pathology and Associate Director of Precision Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Clevenger (MN 1978) is Chair of Pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University and is the Carolyn Wingate Hyde Professor of Cancer Research at the Massey Cancer Center. His research focuses on the role of the prolactin receptor in the pathogenesis of breast cancer.

Until recently, the molecular events that drive cancer have been difficult to grasp, let alone control. The confluence of advanced technologies that allow us to visualize these oncogenic processes at the genetic and cellular level, promise to fundamentally alter the care of cancer patients. This lecture will present three vignettes into this process. Our initial focus will be on the educational pathway of a medical scientist, and how and why one goes about obtaining and advanced dual degree. The second segment of this presentation will examine our capacity to dissect cancer cell signaling pathways at molecular and genetic levels, and how this has enabled cancer biologists to identify new therapeutic targets in part by re-purposing the old. Finally, the impact of genomics and bioinformatics on our ability to identify the “Achilles heel” of each cancer allowing for the targeted used of significantly less toxic molecular therapies will be discussed.

Date: July 8, 2022 (edited)