Dean tapped to helm UGA branch; Zou named chair at Duke
Zou named chair at Duke
Lee Zou has been selected to serve as chair of the department of pharmacology and cancer biology at Duke University effective March 1. Prior to this appointment, he operated a research lab at Harvard University and was a professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and the scientific co-director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.
The Zou lab studies the detection of and cellular response to DNA damage. Zou’s work has important implications in oncogenesis, cancer development and cancer therapy. The lab recently published a research article on molecules that promote the lengthening of telomeres in cells.
Zou earned his Ph.D. from Stony Brook University and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1999 and then completed his postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. He has received numerous awards including the National Cancer Institute’s Outstanding Investigator Award, the Kraft Prize for Translational Research and a Breakthrough Award from the Department of Defense.
Zou also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Dean tapped to helm UGA’s Griffin branch
The University of Georgia has named Jeffrey Dean assistant provost and director of its Griffin campus effective Jan. 1. In this new role, he oversees all research, extension and academic programs at UGA Griffin.
Before this appointment, Dean was a professor and head of the department of biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology and plant pathology at Mississippi State University, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Under his leadership, this department doubled enrollment for its bachelor’s degree program in biochemistry, launched an accelerated five-year master’s degree program for top students and renovated its buildings. Earlier in his career, Dean held teaching, research and leadership roles at UGA.
Dean’s research spans the fields of forestry, plant biology and biochemistry. In recent years, he has studied how wood forms and biodegrades, and how to boost growth and efficient use of biomass. While at UGA, he also explored how environmental stresses shape the way conifers grow and develop. His lab has won more than $4 million in funding from federal agencies ranging from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Dean received bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biology from Stanford University and earned his doctorate in biochemistry from Purdue University. He is the author or co-author of more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and other publications.
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition monthly and the digital edition weekly.
Learn moreGet the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in People
People highlights or most popular articles
MOSAIC scholar explores enzymes
Organic chemist Edwin Alfonzo's scientific journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered the world of enzymes.
Honors for Wright, Chiu and Flanegan
Awards, promotions milestones and more. Find out what's going on in the lives of ASBMB members.
In memoriam: Michael Waterfield
He was a British biochemist and a pioneer in the cancer research field who opened a proteomics lab at University College London.
Bakers and mentors help a MOSAIC scholar change her life
Joanna-Lynn Borgogna studies the vaginal microbiome, the metabolome and the development of gynecological disorders in reproductive-aged women.
Swapping stethoscope for pipette to understand diabetic retinopathy
MOSAIC scholar Emma M. Lessieur Contreras is inspired by the work of her ophthalmologist father.
Honors for Lemon, Silva and Brownlee
Awards, promotions, milestones and more. Find out what's going on in the lives of ASBMB members.