Tom Misteli is an internationally renowned pioneer in the field of genome cell biology and currently serves as an NIH Distinguished Investigator at the Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression within the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research. He previously held the prestigious position of Director of the Center for Cancer Research from 2016 to 2024, guiding one of the nation's premier intramural cancer research programs. Dr. Misteli received his scientific training at the University of London, UK, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, where he initiated groundbreaking approaches to studying genomes in living cells. His early career work established the foundation for his decades-long exploration of nuclear architecture and genome organization, positioning him as a visionary leader in cellular research.
Dr. Misteli's laboratory has made seminal contributions to understanding the spatial organization of genomes and its critical role in cellular function and disease pathogenesis. His influential 2001 Science paper Protein dynamics: implications for nuclear architecture and gene expression fundamentally reshaped how scientists view nuclear organization and has been widely cited as a cornerstone in the field. His research has demonstrated that defects in genome organization and nuclear architecture are responsible for numerous chronic human diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and muscular dystrophies, and are intrinsically linked to human aging processes. By pioneering the integration of live-cell microscopy, high-throughput screening, and synthetic biology approaches to study genome organization, his work has established the foundation for novel diagnostic and clinical applications in cancer and premature aging conditions.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Dr. Misteli has significantly shaped the field of genome cell biology through his leadership in developing innovative methodologies that have become standard approaches across laboratories worldwide. His laboratory continues to uncover fundamental principles of higher order genome organization with the goal of developing novel therapeutic strategies for chronic diseases and aging-related conditions. Dr. Misteli actively seeks to translate basic discoveries into clinical applications through innovative approaches that control and correct genome organization defects. His ongoing research program represents the cutting edge of cell biology, with implications that extend across multiple disease areas and continues to inspire new generations of scientists to explore the intricate architecture of the cell nucleus.
