Georgios Karras

Georgios Karras, Ph.D., is a Principal Investigator and Research Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, affiliated with the Department of Genetics and the Genetics & Epigenetics (G&E) Graduate Program at the MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School. He leads the Karras Laboratory, a research group dedicated to understanding the principles of cellular homeostasis in health, aging, and cancer.

His research focuses on two major hallmarks of longevity: Protein Homeostasis and Genome Integrity. Using multidisciplinary approaches in chemical biology, biochemistry, quantitative genetics, and functional genomics, his lab investigates how the HSP90 chaperone system buffers the phenotypic effects of human genetic mutations, a phenomenon with significant implications for variable disease expressivity and environmental sensitivity, as demonstrated in his landmark 2017 Cell paper on Fanconi Anemia. His work also explores DNA repair mechanisms, particularly within the FA/BRCA pathway, and how deranged tumor cells tolerate high mutational loads.

His laboratory's research trends, exemplified by the 2017 Cell publication, center on the intersection of genetic variation, proteostasis, and environmental stress, aiming to uncover fundamental biological principles that can be leveraged for precision medicine.

• Funding Agencies:
• National Cancer Institute
• The University of Texas System Rising STARs
• Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)
• Joe and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation
• Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Karras mentors a research team and collaborates with core facilities such as the Advanced Technology Genomics Core and the Genetically Engineered Mouse Facility. His lab is actively involved in discovering HSP90-buffered mutations across populations and translating findings from model systems like Saccharomyces cerevisiae to mammalian models.