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INFORMATION FOR

Karen Anderson, PhD

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Professor of Pharmacology and of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Titles

Co-Leader, Developmental Therapeutics, Yale Cancer Center; Co-Director Therapeutics/Chemotherapy Program

About

Titles

Professor of Pharmacology and of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Co-Leader, Developmental Therapeutics, Yale Cancer Center; Co-Director Therapeutics/Chemotherapy Program

Biography

Karen S. Anderson is a Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. She is involved in teaching undergraduates and graduate students about drug discovery and structure-based drug design. She also serves as an undergraduate research mentor and is a fellow at Pierson College at Yale serving as a undergraduate freshman advisor. Dr. Anderson's research utilizes mechanistic enzymology and structure-based drug design. Her work focuses on understanding how enzymes, playing critical roles in such diseases as cancer and infectious diseases, including AIDS, work at a molecular level. She uses that information to develop new drug therapies. She has trained over 50 undergraduates, graduate students, M.D./Ph.D. students and postdoctoral students who have gone on to graduate school and medical school as well as successful careers in academia and industry and who are involved in biomedical research.




Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Senior Research Specialist
Biorational Herbicide Design, Monsanto Co. (1989)
PhD
Ohio State University (1982)

Research

Overview

Our research is directed toward understanding molecular mechanism of clinically important antimicrobial, anticancer, and antiviral molecular targets with the ultimate goal of developing more effective therapies. Key enzyme targets for the development of therapeutics include: KDO8P synthase (an important target for new antibacterials) and a bifunctional thymidylate synthase-dihydrofolate reductase (TS-DHFR) enzyme from parasites (a target for new antiparasitic drugs).

Also ongoing are studies to understanding the molecular mechanisms of normal and aberrant protein signaling and the effects of selectively guided anticancer drugs such as Iressa and Gleevec. Important molecular targets include EGFR, HER-2, PDGFRb, and c-kit receptor tyrosine kinases. Another area of focus involves investigating the mechanisms of HIV reverse transcriptase as well as drug resistance and toxicity that may ultimately aid in the design of better therapeutic agents for the treatment of AIDS.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Anti-Retroviral Agents; HIV Reverse Transcriptase; Molecular Biology; Multifunctional Enzymes; Pharmacology

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Karen Anderson's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

2018

2017

See All Publications

Academic Achievements and Community Involvement

  • honor

    Enzymes, Coenzymes, & Metabolic Pathways Gordon Research Conference - Chair

    National Award
  • honor

    Enzymes, Coenzymes, & Metabolic Pathways Gordon Research Conference - Cochair

    National Award
  • honor

    Yale Cancer Breast Cancer Initiative Research Award

    National AwardYale University
  • honor

    East Tennessee State University Alumni Award

    National AwardEast Tennessee State University
  • honor

    Dean's Young Faculty Award

    National AwardYale University
See All Achievements

Get In Touch

Contacts

Email
Academic Office Number
Lab Number
Office Fax Number
Mailing Address

Pharmacology

PO Box 208066, 333 Cedar Street

New Haven, CT 06520-8066

United States

Locations

  • Department of Pharmacology

    Academic Office

    Sterling Hall of Medicine, B-Wing

    333 Cedar Street, Ste B350b

    New Haven, CT 06510

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