Damon Runyon Researchers

Dr. Crossley [AGBT-Elaine R. Mardis Fellowship in Cancer Genomics] is developing reaction-based chemistry to address the problem of “undruggable” targets in cancer therapy. These proteins lack grooves or “pockets” on the surface that can potentially bind small molecule drugs. A small molecule that can react with an amino acid in the target protein, forming a covalent bond, may circumvent the problem of poor binding pockets. Dr. Crossley aims to find drugs that will target the most problematic cancer-causing proteins, expanding the potential to treat cancers that currently have few therapeutic options.