Citation | Karen Vousden is distinguished for her studies on the p53 and Rb tumour suppressor genes whose functions are disrupted in most human cancers. Her work has led to the recognition of two key features of p53: the role of MDM2 in the regulation of p53 protein stability and the importance of apoptosis in the tumour suppressor function of p53. Her studies have contributed to the realization that tumour cells, which have a deregulated Rb pathway, are more sensitive to p53 driven apoptosis than their normal counterparts, and suggest that reactivation of p53 in tumour cells will have therapeutic efficacy. |