Professor Vincenzo D’Angiolella, expert in protein degradation processes and brain cancer, joins the Institute of Genetics and Cancer as the Charles and Ethel Barr Chair of Cancer Research. Image Vincenzo D’Angiolella, MD, PhD, Charles and Ethel Barr Chair of Cancer Research. We are delighted to welcome Professor Vincenzo D’Angiolella and his team to the Institute of Genetics and Cancer. Vincenzo is a well-established expert in the fields of protein degradation and brain cancer. He joins us from the CRUK/MRC Institute for Radiation Oncology (University of Oxford) as the Charles and Ethel Barr Chair of Cancer Research to lead the “Ubiquitin signaling in brain cancer” research group. Professor D’Angiolella obtained his Medical Degree and DPhil in molecular pathology at the Federico II University in Naples (Italy). He studied as postdoctoral fellow at the NYU School of Medicine in the United States (first as American Italian Cancer Foundation Fellow and subsequently as Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fellow). In 2013, after his postdoctoral studies, he started his own research group at the CRUK/MRC Institute for Radiation Oncology in Oxford. Vincenzo’s research provided several significant contributions to our understanding of the links between cell cycle, protein degradation processes and brain cancer development and progression. Some notable examples of his work include discoveries on the proteolytic function of master cell cycle regulators (Genes and Development, 2003; Nature, 2010) and the basic mechanisms to control the production of the DNA forming blocks (dNTPs) during cell cycle progression (Cell, 2012). Work from his laboratory established the function of several E3 ubiquitin ligases (EMBO J, 2016; EMBO Reports, 2018) including the elucidation of the mechanism of action of KBTBD4 as genetic driver of medulloblastoma (Cell Death Differ, 2022). The overarching goal of the D’Angiolella’s Lab is to decipher the role of the ubiquitin system in the pathogenesis and treatment response of brain cancers. Vincenzo is committed to make a difference in the treatment of brain tumours and enjoys working in the laboratory. When not at work, he also enjoys nature walking, building things and reading books. I am thrilled to be part of the University of Edinburgh community. I can brainstorm and start collaborations with world-experts and renowned leaders that I had known before only through emails. This is extremely exciting and will provide significant added value to my research. Edinburgh is renowned for the depth and quality of its brain cancer research, and I hope that my group can strengthen ongoing research activities and set new directions for the future. I am very grateful for a warm welcome, which reflects the highly collegial environment. I look forward to establishing novel drug development programmes centred around protein degradation to fight brain cancers impacting children and adults. The future of biology and medicine relies on large studies which account for the diversity and complexity of cancer biology. These type of studies can only be undertaken in focused and collegial environment like the Institute of Genetics and Cancer in Edinburgh. Professor Vincenzo D’AngiolellaUniversity of Edinburgh Related Links Professor Vincenzo D’Angiolella group website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/cancer-centre/research/d-angiolella-group This article was published on 2024-06-21
