Karen Vousden

Karen Vousden is a world leader in p53 biology who has expanded understanding of p53 beyond its canonical roles in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis to encompass metabolic regulation. Her laboratory discovered TIGAR (TP53-Induced Glycolysis and Apoptosis Regulator), a p53 target that redirects glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway and reduces ROS, revealing p53 as a regulator of metabolic homeostasis. Vousden has characterized how p53 influences serine metabolism, antioxidant programs, and ferroptosis, demonstrating that metabolic functions of p53 contribute to tumor suppression through mechanisms distinct from traditional cell death pathways.