Tony Hunter

Tony Hunter at the Salk Institute discovered tyrosine kinase phosphorylation in 1979, a discovery that underpins virtually all targeted kinase inhibitor therapies in modern precision oncology. His finding that the Src oncoprotein phosphorylates tyrosine residues launched the entire field of targeted kinase inhibitor development including imatinib, erlotinib, gefitinib, and hundreds of others. He has continued to characterize kinase signaling networks in cancer and identify novel phosphorylation substrates. He received the Lasker Award and is among the most highly cited scientists in cancer biology.