John Kuriyan

John Kuriyan at UC Berkeley is a structural biologist and biophysicist who has defined the structural mechanisms of protein kinase activation, autoinhibition, and drug binding through landmark X-ray crystallography studies. His structural work on BCR-ABL contributed to understanding imatinib resistance mechanisms and the basis for designing second-generation ABL inhibitors. He determined the structures of EGFR kinase in active and inactive states and contributed to understanding asymmetric EGFR kinase dimer activation. His comprehensive structural insights into kinase mechanisms have provided the molecular foundation for rational kinase inhibitor design.