Kent Rossman

Kent Rossman, PhD, serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and holds membership in the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

His research investigates signaling and structural mechanisms of RAS superfamily GTPases (HRAS, KRAS, NRAS, RHOA, RAC1, CDC42) in regulating cellular proliferation, motility, morphogenesis, and apoptosis. The lab employs biochemical, biophysical, structural, and cell biological methodologies to elucidate how deregulated GTPase activity drives human malignancies and RASopathies, with pharmacological intervention as the ultimate therapeutic goal. This work addresses pathways altered in over 30% of human cancers.

Dr. Rossman has received significant recognition:

• University Cancer Research Fund Innovation Award
• American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
• NCI GI Cancer SPORE Developmental Research Award
• UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship
• UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Graduate Fellow Award
• Cancer Cell Biology Training Program Predoctoral Fellowship
• Special Recognition Award from Glaxo Inc.

His research program is supported by these competitive awards, focusing on molecular therapeutics development. The Rossman Lab operates within the Department of Surgery infrastructure, utilizing specialized facilities for GTPase mechanism studies and therapeutic discovery.