Tim Mitchison

Tim Mitchison is the Hasib Sabbagh Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School, where he has been a faculty member since 1997. He co-founded the Institute for Chemistry and Cell Biology and the HMS Department of Systems Biology (2004), and served as President of the American Society of Cell Biology in 2010.

• B.A. in Biochemistry, Oxford University (1980)
• PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco (1984)

His research focuses on the dynamic organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton during cell division, using Xenopus laevis eggs as a model system. He investigates how microtubule- and mitosis-targeting drugs like taxol induce cancer cell death and develops small molecules that activate tumor-resident macrophages via viral mimicry. His work bridges biophysics, cell biology, and pharmacology to address fundamental and translational questions.

Dr. Mitchison's scientific contributions have earned him election to the Royal Society (1997), the American Association of Arts and Sciences (2008), and the National Academy of Sciences (2014). He has pioneered experimental systems using Xenopus egg extracts to reconstitute complex cellular processes ex vivo.

• Fellow of the Royal Society
• Member, American Association of Arts and Sciences
• President, American Society of Cell Biology
• Member, National Academy of Sciences

As Co-director of the Systems Biology PhD Program, he mentors students in interdisciplinary research spanning molecular mechanisms to systems-level analysis. His lab combines microscopy, image analysis, and biochemistry to explore scaling challenges in large cells and drug action in cancer therapy.