Helen M. Piwnica-Worms

Dr. Helen M. Piwnica-Worms is the Vice Provost of Science; Professor of Cancer Biology; and the Senator A. M. Aikin Jr. Chair at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Piwnica-Worms’ laboratory investigates how cells control their division cycle and how cancer cells disrupt these regulatory pathways. Her research transformed our view of the cell cycle clock and its intimate relationship with G2 checkpoint mechanisms. The insights from this work form the basis of fundamental tenets of cell biology. Although Piwnica-Worms began her career solely as a bench scientist, she rapidly developed a portfolio of research spanning from bench to bedside, with her lab's current research focusing on four main areas: (1) Understanding the function and regulation of proteins that are involved in mammalian cell cycle and checkpoint control. (2) Identifying mutations that are functionally significant in the development and progression of premalignant and invasive breast cancer. (3) Developing and exploiting models that enable cell cycle regulatory proteins, breast cancer drivers, and therapeutic targets to be studied in vertebrate animals. And (4) Translating the results of basic, genomic, and preclinical studies into improved clinical interventions for cancer patients. This work has strong implications for both our basic biological understanding and our ability to develop clinical treatments for cancer patients. Piwnica-Worms has received numerous awards for her research including a Damon Runyon Fellowship, Pew Scholar Award, the Spirit of Health Award from the American Cancer Society, and is a fellow of the American Society for the Advancement of Science in addition to her Academy of Arts and Sciences Membership. She was elected member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2013. Her publications appear in journals such as Cell, Nature, and Science.