Paul D Kaufman

Paul D. Kaufman is a Professor at UMass Chan Medical School within the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. He holds appointments in multiple departments including Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology; Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology; Program in Molecular Medicine; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program; MD/PhD Program; and Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology. His research focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of chromosome structure and function, with particular emphasis on heterochromatin organization and the role of specific proteins in genome maintenance.

Dr. Kaufman received his BA in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and his PhD in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Following his doctoral work, he conducted postdoctoral research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, establishing the foundation for his career in chromosome biology.

His research program investigates proteins that regulate chromosome structure and function using cell biological and genomic tools to analyze mammalian chromosome organization. As part of the NIH 4D Nucleome partnership, his lab has been investigating heterochromatin organization in mammalian cells, with particular focus on specific loci localized to the perinucleolar region. A major focus of his work centers on the proliferation antigen Ki-67, which not only serves as a clinical tumor marker but also directly protects chromosomes from damage during mitosis. Current work explores how Ki-67 and the tumor suppressor protein p53 work together to protect chromosomes.

Analysis of Dr. Kaufman's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on nucleolar architecture, heterochromatin organization, and chromosome protection mechanisms. His work spans from fundamental chromatin biology to disease connections, particularly in muscular dystrophy and cancer. The research employs advanced genomic and cell biological techniques including TSA-Seq to map chromosome organization in different cell types.

Dr. Kaufman actively mentors students and postdoctoral researchers, offering rotation projects and seeking highly motivated individuals with first-author publications for postdoctoral training. His laboratory contributes significantly to understanding how chromosome organization influences genome function and stability, with implications for human disease.

His laboratory is part of the vibrant research community within the Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology at UMass Chan Medical School, collaborating with researchers across multiple departments and centers including the Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology program. The lab's work on chromosome organization intersects with several major research initiatives at the institution, particularly those focused on genome integrity and cancer biology.