David E. Housman

David E. Housman is a Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Virginia & D.K. Ludwig Scholar for Cancer Research. He holds the Ludwig Professorship in Biology and leads the Housman Lab at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. His research focuses on genetic mechanisms underlying Huntington’s disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, with particular emphasis on developing therapeutic strategies for intervention.

Education:

• B.A. in Biology from Brandeis University (1966)
• Ph.D. in Biology from Brandeis University (1971)

Research Interests: Dr. Housman’s work integrates genetic approaches to understand disease mechanisms. Key areas include:

• Modifier genes in Huntington’s disease pathogenesis
• Genetic pathways in cancers like Wilms tumor, glioblastoma, and melanoma
• Cardiovascular disease mechanisms via genetic and proteomic analyses

His lab investigates transcriptional dysregulation, small molecule therapies, and protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Publications: Over 150 peer-reviewed articles, with recent focus on multi-omic analyses of Huntington’s disease and therapeutic targeting of epigenetic modifications.

Awards & Honors:

• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1988)
• Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (1994)
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine (2004)

Scientific Contributions:

• Co-founded Genzyme Genetics and Integrated Genetics
• Adviser to Kenna Technologies and Variagenics Inc.

His lab collaborates on projects ranging from modifier gene identification to clinical trials for Huntington’s disease therapies.

Labs & Teams: The Housman Lab includes researchers, postdocs, and students studying genetic and molecular mechanisms of disease. Key personnel include Dr. Julia Alberta and Dr. Ferah Yildirim.