Joseph Nevins Named Director of IGSP Center for Genome Technology at Duke

Duke University Medical Center
Friday, 21 November 2003

Joseph Nevins, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and James B. Duke professor of genetics at Duke has been named director of the Center for Genome Technology, a center of the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy (IGSP).

Nevins investigates the genes that control normal cell growth and the genetic disruptions that lead to cancerous tumor development. His work incorporates DNA microarray, or gene chip, technology to simultaneously measure the activity of thousands of genes, thereby creating "genetic fingerprints" that can predict the future course of breast, ovarian, and brain cancers. He has been the interim director of the Center for Genome Technology (CGT) since its inception in 1999, and his latest appointment is effective immediately.

CGT develops and applies novel approaches to the analysis of the genome -- an organism's complete set of genetic instructions. Part of the center's mission is to provide support for investigators in applying these technologies for their research.

"Joe is a terrific geneticist with a deep appreciation of how to utilize genome technology to enhance a broad portfolio of both basic and clinical research," said Huntington Willard, Ph.D., director of the IGSP. "He also has a superb sense of academic duty and institutional loyalty. Through our wide international search, it became very clear that he was ideal for the job. I'm thrilled that he agreed to take on this important task."

Nevins received his Ph.D. in microbiology at Duke, where he studied viral gene regulation. He completed his postdoctoral studies as a Jane Coffin Childs fellow at the Rockefeller University, where he focused on the mechanisms by which DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA. He returned to Duke in 1987 as professor of microbiology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

Nevins became chair of the newly created Duke department of genetics in 1991 and continued as chair when the department was merged with the department of microbiology, creating the department of molecular genetics and microbiology. He will remain as chair of the department until next summer, when a new chair is identified. A search committee for the position is currently being formed and the search process is under way.

Nevins feels that the time is right to step down as chair, and he is excited about his work with CGT. "I simply felt it would be impossible to head the department and also play an important role in developing campus-wide programs in genome technology if I was to do either of them right. My research and CGT go hand in hand. I find it a great opportunity to take discoveries in breast cancer genomics research and apply them in clinical settings. Now, all of the pieces are in place to further develop and apply the technology to problems of very significant clinical and biological importance, within the context of the IGSP."

In his new role, Nevins will oversee the incorporation of genome technologies into research endeavors that span the university -- both at the medical center and on the main campus. "There are terrific opportunities to build collaborations between the center and programs in schools all around Duke, from the medical school to biology, chemistry and engineering," he said.

The IGSP represents Duke's comprehensive response to the broad challenges of the Genomic Revolution. Because advances in genome science and its applications raise a broad spectrum of ethical, legal and policy issues, the IGSP comprises -- in addition to scientists, engineers and physicians -- scholars in law, business, economics, public policy, ethics, religion, environmental studies and other humanities and social sciences.

For more information, or to contact Duke University Medical Center, see their website at: www.mc.duke.edu