Stephen Blacklow

Research in the Blacklow laboratory is centered around the molecular logic of normal and pathogenic Notch signaling. Activating mutations in human Notch1 are found in more than half of human T-cell leukemias, and a key goal of current research is therefore to develop new classes of selective Notch inhibitors.

Dr. Stephen C. Blacklow’s laboratory is dedicated to research that seeks to answer important, fundamental questions about the structure and function of cell surface receptor molecules at the biochemical level. Among the receptors he studies is the multi-domain protein receptor for low-density lipoprotein—better known as bad cholesterol—and a family of proteins called Notch receptors that communicate signals between neighboring cells. Mutations in these and other cell surface receptors can result in a wide variety of disorders, including heart disease and cancer. Understanding how these receptor molecules function in normal and abnormal states is fundamental to understanding the patho- genesis of these diseases, and thereby provides new opportunities for the development of targeted therapies.