John P. Morris IV

John P. Morris IV is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on understanding how cancer drivers establish malignant lineages by disrupting normal cellular differentiation programs.

His core research interests include:

• Oncogene and tumor suppressor networks
• Malignant specification and lineage plasticity
• Evolution of cancer epigenetic and genomic heterogeneity
• Cell fate decisions in tumorigenesis

The Morris Lab employs genetically engineered mouse models to study hard-to-treat cancers like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, integrating dynamic gene expression control and lineage tracing to identify critical inflection points in cancer progression and therapeutic response. Their work aims to develop treatments that restore developmental and tissue homeostasis programs.

Dr. Morris advises five Pharmacology graduate students:

• Emma Armstrong
• Scott Bang
• Abi Fetzer
• Cole Martin
• Matthew Smith

No scientific awards were mentioned in the source material. The lab operates within the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center infrastructure at UNC Chapel Hill.