John Kuriyan

Professor John Kuriyan ForMemRS

John Kuriyan is a prominent biochemist and structural biologist known for his significant contributions to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction and DNA replication. He is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Early Life and Education

John Kuriyan was born in India and moved to the United States for his higher education. He received his B.Sc. in chemistry from Juniata College and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he worked under the guidance of Gregory Petsko.

Career

After completing his Ph.D., Kuriyan conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) with Martin Karplus. He then joined the faculty at The Rockefeller University, where he made significant advances in the field of structural biology.

In 2001, Kuriyan moved to the University of California, Berkeley, where he holds joint appointments in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and the Department of Chemistry. He is also a faculty scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Research Contributions

Kuriyan's research focuses on the structural and mechanistic basis of cellular signaling and DNA replication. His work has provided deep insights into the function of protein kinases, which are enzymes that modify other proteins by chemically adding phosphate groups. This process is crucial for regulating various cellular activities.

One of his notable achievements is the elucidation of the structure of the Src family kinase Hck, which has implications for understanding cancer and other diseases. Kuriyan's lab has also studied the Ras and Raf proteins, which play key roles in cell growth and differentiation.

Awards and Honors

John Kuriyan has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to science, including:

• Election to the National Academy of Sciences
• Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• The Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research
• The Gairdner Foundation International Award

Personal Life

Kuriyan is married and has two children. He is known for his dedication to mentoring young scientists and fostering a collaborative research environment.

See Also

• Biochemistry
• Structural biology
• Signal transduction
• DNA replication
• Protein kinase