Ronald Evans

Ronald Evans, PhD, is a Professor and Director of the Gene Expression Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. His research focuses on nuclear hormone receptors, metabolic disorders, cancer, and circadian biology. He leads a lab renowned for discovering the nuclear receptor superfamily, which underpins drug targets for diabetes, cancer, and obesity.

• Education: BA in Bacteriology (UCLA), PhD in Microbiology and Immunology (UCLA), Postdoctoral Fellow at Rockefeller University
• Affiliations: March of Dimes Chair in Molecular and Developmental Biology

Evans' work integrates molecular biology, genetics, and pharmacology to address metabolic diseases. His lab pioneered 'exercise mimetic' drugs targeting PPARδ, FGF1 as a diabetes treatment, and vitamin D-based therapies for pancreatic cancer. His research on circadian rhythms links metabolic cycles to sleep and disease.

Key scientific contributions include identifying REV-ERBα/β in circadian regulation, FGF1's glucose-regulating role, and nuclear receptor-based therapies. Ongoing projects explore metabolic reprogramming in cancer and immune-evasive islet organoids for diabetes.

• Awards: Japan Prize (2024), Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (2018), Lasker Award (2004), among others.

Evans has advised over 100 students and collaborates globally. His lab's discoveries have advanced treatments for diabetes, obesity, and cancer, with clinical trials ongoing for pancreatic cancer therapies and metabolic drugs.