Nicholas Tonks

Nicholas Tonks is a Professor and the Caryl Boies Professor of Cancer Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), with a focus on protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and their roles in diseases like cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. He leads research at the CSHL Cancer Center, aiming to develop novel therapeutic strategies targeting PTPs.

• Academic Appointments: Caryl Boies Professor of Cancer Research (1995–present), Associate Director of Shared Resources (CSHL Cancer Center, 1995–present)
• Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry (University of Dundee, 1985), B.A. in Biochemistry (Oxford University, 1981)

Research Interests: Tonks' work centers on PTPs as critical regulators of cell signaling. His lab has uncovered roles for PTPs in breast cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease, including the development of antibodies targeting oxidized PTP1B and small-molecule inhibitors for therapeutic intervention.

Scientific Awards:

• 2019 AAAS Fellow
• ASBMB Earl and Thressa Stadtman Distinguished Scientist Award (2018)
• Vallee Foundation Visiting Professorship (2012)

Advising and Collaborations: Mentored numerous postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, including Dongyan Song, Zhe Qian, and Navasona Krishnan. Contributed to understanding PTP1B's redox regulation and its implications for ER stress and metabolic diseases.

Labs and Teams: Leads the Tonks Laboratory at CSHL, collaborating with institutions like the University of Dundee and Oxford University. Research spans therapeutic targets for Wilson’s disease, diabetes, and cancer, integrating interdisciplinary approaches like proteomics and structural biology.