Prof. Sir David Lane

Biography

Professor Lane is concurrently the Chief Scientist of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), as well as, the Scientific Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Professor Lane is credited with the landmark discovery of the p53 protein, which functions as a vitally important tumor suppressor involved in preventing cancer. He refers to the protein as the “guardian of the genome” for its role in controlling tumor growth. The p53 is mutated or faulty in 50 percent of human cancers. Professor Lane’s current laboratory investigations focus on controlling p53 and identifying targets for developing new cancer therapies that could restore normal function. Professor Lane has directed scientific programs at Imperial College, ICRF Laboratories at Clare Hall and helped to establish the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC) laboratories at the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland. With support from the University of Dundee and CRC, he founded Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals where he helped to identify several oncology drug candidates currently under clinical development. While carrying out his responsibilities at A*Star, Professor Lane also served as Cancer Research UK’s first Chief Scientist. His contributions to cancer research have been widely recognized. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 and most recently received the 2012 Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement Prize. Professor Lane is a member of European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and a Fellow of the Royal Society, the UK’s premier scientific academy. He is the author or co-author of more than 350 publications in international peer-reviewed journals. Professor Lane earned his PhD degree in immunology from the University College in London. He began his post-doctoral research in the laboratories of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

Research Interest

Oncology, Molecular Biology