Dr. Denis is a leading researcher in the study of breast cancer, with a particular focus on the disproportionate occurrence of breast cancer in economically and socially stressed minorities. He studies the combination of socioeconomic factors and certain (BET) proteins in both breast and prostate cancers in his research. This mix of social and biological drivers is of increasing interest in medical research. Dr. Denis explains how this broader research is designed and tested –and how it will affect the fight against cancer today. Image: Belmont Media Center
Gerald Denis, Ph.D., is a molecular oncologist at Boston Medical Center. He is Co-director of the BU BMC Cancer Center and is a charter member of the Tumor Microenvironment Study Section at NIH. Much of his research is focused on how metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes can influence whether someone develops cancer. Dr. Denis is distinguished especially for his pioneering studies of the Bromodomain and ExtraTerminal (BET) protein family that is important for cellular growth in leukemia, and metastasis of breast and prostate cancers.