Allan Jacobson

Allan Jacobson is Professor and Chair Emeritus at UMass Chan Medical School, holding the Gerald L. Haidak, MD, and Zelda S. Haidak Endowed Chair in Cell Biology. His research focuses on cytoplasmic aspects of post-transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes, particularly nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) and therapeutic approaches for genetic disorders caused by nonsense mutations.

Affiliations: Department of Microbiology, RNA Therapeutics Institute, and NeuroNexus Institute

Education:

• PhD in Biology, Brandeis University
• MS in Genetics, Rutgers University
• BA in Biology/Music, Stephens College

His lab investigates mechanistic differences between premature and normal translation termination, defining roles of Upf proteins in NMD. This fundamental research led to co-founding PTC Therapeutics and development of ataluren (Translarna®), an FDA-approved treatment for nonsense mutation disorders.

Publications demonstrate extensive expertise in mRNA decay mechanisms, yeast genetics, and translational control. Recent work explores decapping enzyme regulation and ribosomal dynamics during termination.

Current projects include single-molecule analysis of protein synthesis, characterization of endogenous NMD substrates, and developing nonsense suppression therapies for over 2000 genetic disorders.