Research Interests

Chemistry and Biology of Transition Metal Receptors. Transcriptional regulation mechanisms; metalloregulatory proteins. Molecular and cell biology of copper, iron and zinc; Metal ion chaperone proteins for Cu and Zn. Mercury thiolate and protein chemistry. High-valent, iron-oxo chemistry; non-heme iron enzymes. Design and development of inorganic-based antitumor drugs and protease inhibitors.

Academic History

• Morrison Professor, Northwestern University, Department of Chemistry and Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology
• National Research Service Award, Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with C.T. Walsh.
• Columbia University, New York with S.J. Lippard: Ph.D.
• University of Missouri, Columbia with J. Malin: B.S., M.A.

Significant Awards and Recognition

• Member, Advisory Board, US DOE Biological Sciences Directorate
• NIH MERIT Award (Method to Extend Research in Time) for grant "Mechanistic Studies of the MerR and Fur Metalloregulatory Proteins"
• Advisory Board, Center for Environmental Bioinorganic Chemistry, Princeton University
• Robert Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern University - Director of Cancer Genes and Molecular Regulation Basic Research Program, Leadership Council; Co-Director of Molecular Oncogenesis Basic Research Group
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Fellow, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
• Leroy Hall Award for Excellence in Teaching given by the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
• American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Scientific Achievement Award sponsored by Schering-Plough
• Associated Student Government Faculty Honor Roll
• Mortar Board - Faculty Honor Roll of Outstanding Teachers
• The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Award
• Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow
• Presidential Young Investigator Award, NSF
• National Searle Scholars Award, The Chicago Community Trust
• The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Distinguished New Faculty Award
• Pegram Award, Columbia University

Professional Activities

• Review Boards: Metallobiochemistry Study Section, NIH 1996-2000; Chairman 1998-2000.
• Director of Research, Radiation Medicine Institute, Evanston Hospital Corporation
• Director, Molecular Oncogenesis Basic Research Group, Robert Lurie Cancer Center-Northwestern University.
• Chairman, Bioinorganic Chemistry Subdivision, American Chemical Society (1997)
• Member: American Chemical Society: Division of Inorganic Chemistry & Division of Biological Chemistry
• Member, Society for Biological Inorganic Chemistry
• Member, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
• Board of Editors: Inorganic Chemistry, Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, Inorganic Biochemistry, Current Opinion in Chemical Biology