Jefferson Chan

Jefferson Chan, MD, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. His research focuses on transcriptional regulation of stress response pathways, particularly the role of Nrf1 in cellular survival mechanisms. He investigates how glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) modulates Nrf1 stability and its implications in neurodegeneration and cancer. His work bridges molecular biology and clinical oncology, with contributions to understanding proteasome regulation under stress conditions.

Key findings include demonstrating GSK3's role in Nrf1 phosphorylation and ubiquitination, linking this pathway to ER stress-induced apoptosis. His studies on Nrf1's role in antioxidant defense mechanisms have implications for neuroprotection and cancer therapy. Dr. Chan has been funded by NIH grants R56 CA091907 and R01 NS065223, advancing translational research in cellular stress pathways.