| Citation | Dr Thomas Curran has made major discoveries in two distinct fields of biological research: molecular oncology and neurobiology. He pioneered our understanding of Fos, a protein that dimerizes with Jun to form a canonical member of the Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) family of transcription factors. This work was critical in deciphering the mechanisms by which normal and oncogenic signals modify gene expression. His subsequent studies of Fos in the central nervous system ultimately led him to identify the product of the Reelin gene in mice, a protein that directs neuronal migration during brain development. Thus, Curran's work has impacted broadly on the fields of oncogene transformation, signal transduction, regulation of gene expression and neuronal function. |