Albert Baldwin

Albert Baldwin, PhD, is a Kenan Distinguished Professor and Associate Director at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on deregulated signaling pathways that promote cancer development, with particular emphasis on the transcription factor NF-kappaB and its role in disease mechanisms and cancer therapy resistance.

Dr. Baldwin's research interests center on understanding the regulation and biological functions of NF-kappaB, signaling pathways targeting this transcription factor, and how NF-kappaB promotes oncogenic mechanisms and resistance to cancer treatments. His work has increasingly examined signaling and transcription mechanisms that promote immune responses to tumors and methods to enhance these processes for therapeutic benefit. His laboratory investigates the fundamental biological mechanisms controlled by NF-kappaB and how these contribute to basic oncogenic processes.

Analysis of Dr. Baldwin's recent publications reveals a strong focus on NF-kappaB signaling across multiple cancer types including pancreatic cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma. His research spans molecular mechanisms of transcription factor regulation, metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer cells, and the intersection of cancer signaling with immune responses. Key themes include identifying therapeutic targets within signaling networks and understanding resistance mechanisms to current cancer treatments.

• Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award (2022)
• NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (2016)

Dr. Baldwin has successfully mentored graduate students including Adam Graves, who defended his dissertation on ERK regulation of IKKε in pancreatic cancers in May 2025. His research has been supported by significant funding including the UNC Lineberger Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence, which received a five-year, $10.9 million NIH SPORE grant from the National Cancer Institute. The Baldwin Lab continues to be an active research group within the NCI-designated Cancer Center at UNC.

As part of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and UNC School of Medicine, Dr. Baldwin's laboratory is positioned at the forefront of cancer research, with facilities located at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center on the Chapel Hill campus. His work bridges basic molecular mechanisms with translational applications for cancer therapy.