Joseph Schlessinger

Joseph Schlessinger is a leading structural and cell biologist whose work has elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which receptor tyrosine kinases transmit growth signals. He characterized dimerization as essential for RTK activation and has extensively studied FGFR signaling with direct implications for cancer therapy. His laboratory has contributed to the structural basis for developing selective kinase inhibitors targeting oncogenic RTKs. He co-founded Plexxikon which developed vemurafenib (BRAF inhibitor) and contributed to multiple other kinase inhibitor discovery programs. He is recipient of the Wolf Prize and other major awards.