"Mikhail A. Nikiforov, Ph.D., came to the Department of Cell Stress Biology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in December 2007 as an Associate Member and Associate Professor of Oncology. Dr. Nikiforov’s research program is focused on several aspects of molecular biology and drug resistance of melanoma and several blood malignancies including:Elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying oncogene-dependent senescence in normal human melanocytes and metastatic phenotypes in melanoma cells. Understanding the mechanisms by which oxidative stress promotes oncogene-induced senescence and suppresses melanoma metastasis. Acquisition of invasive phenotypes by melanoma cells. Discovery of novel prognostic markers of melanoma. The role of Krüppel-like transcription factors in the regulation of therapeutic outcomes in multiple myeloma, acute promyelocytic leukemia, and acute myeloid leukemia.In parallel, Dr. Nikiforov’s lab is actively pursuing the development of a novel class of small molecule inhibitors of C-MYC, an oncogenic transcription factor that is overexpressed in more than 80% of human cancers. Dr. Nikiforov’s research is funded by the National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society."

Mechanisms of Melanoma Progression