Donald DeFranco, PhD

Co-investigator

Dr. DeFranco, Professor and Vice-Chairman of Molecular Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh, is a world renowned scientist in the field of steroid hormone receptor research.  He has been awarded numerous honors.  Dr. DeFranco has sat on the editorial board of several journals and at present serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Molecular Endocrinology.  In addition, Dr. DeFranco has considerable experience in successfully mentoring young scientists as well as developing educational curriculum, and was chosen as a finalist for the Provosts Award for Excellence in Mentoring in 2007.  Given his experience and accomplishments, there is much that Dr. DeFranco will contribute to this Center.  He has recently discovered a link between androgen receptor cofactors and TGF-beta signaling in prostatic cells.  Dr. DeFranco will explore the effect of inflammation on TGF-beta signaling in the prostate.