Dr. Joseph Schlessinger is a preeminent molecular biophysicist and global leader in cellular signaling research who currently serves as the William H. Prusoff Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at Yale University School of Medicine, a position he has held since 2001. Born in Topusko on March 26, 1945, he completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry and Physics magna cum laude at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before earning his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1974. His distinguished academic journey includes serving as Director of the Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine and Chairman of Pharmacology at New York University Medical Center from 1990 to 2001, following his tenure at the Weizmann Institute where he was the Ruth and Leonard Simon Professor of Cancer Research from 1985 to 1991. Dr. Schlessinger's leadership extends to his role as founding Director of Yale's Cancer Biology Institute, where he continues to shape the future of molecular medicine through strategic vision and institutional development.
Dr. Schlessinger pioneered foundational discoveries in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, demonstrating that RTKs such as the epidermal growth factor receptor form dimers upon ligand binding, triggering activation, autophosphorylation, and downstream signaling cascades. His laboratory identified the critical role of SH2 and SH3 domains in signal transduction regulation and discovered the SH2/SH3 adaptor protein Grb2 that links activated EGFR with Ras signaling pathways. This seminal work established the mechanistic framework for understanding transmembrane signaling at atomic resolution and revealed how RTK dysfunction drives human cancers through mutations or gene amplification. His biochemical, genetic, and structural approaches directly enabled the development of kinase inhibitors as targeted cancer therapies, fundamentally transforming oncology treatment paradigms and establishing principles applicable to most cell surface receptors.
Beyond his academic contributions, Dr. Schlessinger has successfully translated basic research into life-saving cancer therapeutics through strategic entrepreneurship, co-founding Sugen in 1991 which developed the FDA-approved drug Sutent for gastrointestinal and kidney cancers before its acquisition by Pfizer for $650 million. He co-founded Plexxikon in 2001 to develop melanoma treatments later acquired by Daiichi Sankyo for $805 million, and established Kolltan Pharmaceuticals in 2008 to advance monoclonal antibody cancer therapies. His work catalyzed the development of over 20 kinase inhibitors now approved for clinical use, making targeted cancer therapy a frontline treatment approach worldwide. Dr. Schlessinger continues to mentor the next generation of scientists while leading cutting-edge research at Yale that explores new dimensions of signaling biology with potential applications across multiple disease areas.
