Christopher M. Counter, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Pharmacology&Cancer Biology

Department:
Pharmacology&Cancer Biology

Email:
count004mcdukeedu

Mailing Address:
Box 3813, DUMC
Durham, NC 27710

Telephone:
919-684-9890

Training:
Ph.D., McMaster University Faculty of Medicine

Research Interests:
The Counter lab studies the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of normal cells into cancer.  The lab is divided into two major areas studying key features of human cancers.  

Immortalization: We have shown that the ability of cancer cells to keep dividing, or become immortal, is a fundamental aspect of tumorigenesis, and is due to elongation of telomeres.  Current efforts focus on the molecular biology of telomere-binding proteins in regulating telomere length.  

Proliferation: The ability of tumor cells to proliferate inappropriately is a hallmark of cancer.  One gene that plays a key role in this process is the oncogene Ras.  We have shown that Ras exerts its oncogenic signals through different proteins at different phases of cancer.  Current studies focus on how these different pathways promote cancer and how to inhibit their activity.