Dr. Michael Gottesman is a distinguished molecular biologist and physician-scientist who has made seminal contributions to our understanding of cellular mechanisms in cancer. He currently serves as Deputy Director for Intramural Research at the National Institutes of Health and Chief of the Laboratory of Cell Biology at the National Cancer Institute. Educated at Harvard University where he earned both his undergraduate degree in biochemical sciences and his medical degree with highest honors, Dr. Gottesman completed his clinical training at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital before embarking on his research career. After a brief appointment as an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, he joined the National Institutes of Health in 1976, where he has since held numerous leadership positions including a pivotal role as acting director of the National Center for Human Genome Research from 1992-1993 and Deputy Director for Intramural Research from 1994 until 2022.
Dr. Gottesman's groundbreaking research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of multidrug resistance in human cancer cells, a critical barrier to effective cancer treatment worldwide. His seminal work identifying and characterizing the role of ABC transporters, particularly ABCB1, ABCC1, and ABCG2, in conferring resistance to chemotherapeutic agents has reshaped the field of cancer pharmacology and provided crucial insights for developing strategies to overcome treatment resistance. His investigations into how silent polymorphisms impact protein tertiary structure and function have revealed previously unappreciated mechanisms of drug resistance at the molecular level. Currently, Dr. Gottesman is pioneering innovative CRISPR-based methodologies to systematically examine the role of all 48 human ABC transporters in developing resistance to specific chemotherapeutic compounds, creating a comprehensive framework applicable across diverse cell line models and therapeutic agents.
As a leader in the scientific community, Dr. Gottesman has played a transformative role in shaping national biomedical research priorities through his extensive administrative responsibilities at the NIH. His election to both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine underscores the profound impact of his scientific contributions and leadership. Dr. Gottesman has received numerous prestigious honors including the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Member of the Executive Branch in Career Public Service from the American Medical Association, recognizing his exceptional contributions to public health. His ongoing research continues to address critical challenges in cancer therapeutics while mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists, ensuring that his legacy of rigorous molecular investigation will advance the frontiers of cancer biology and treatment strategies for years to come.
