Chemical Biology of Cell Division
under the supervision of
BENJAMIN KWOK, Ph.D.
- Research Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
The assembly of a bipolar, microtubule-based machine called the mitotic spindle is essential for chromosome segregation during cell division. Inhibition of this process blocks cell cycle progression and is an effective strategy to treat cancer. Motor proteins in the kinesin superfamily play important roles in orchestrating spindle formation. Their ability to directly regulate microtubule organization and polymerization dynamics places them in a new class of chemotherapeutic targets.
The Chemical Biology of Cell Division research unit focuses on: 1) elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which kinesin motors and other microtubule-associated proteins contribute to mitotic spindle assembly, and 2) developing small molecule chemical tools that can be used in biomedical research and potentially as anti-cancer chemotherapeutics.
T + 514 343.6111, ext. 0871
F + 514 343.5839
benjamin.kwok@umontreal.ca
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