Thomas A. Gerken

Thomas A. Gerken, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Department of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. He is also a member of the Population and Cancer Prevention Program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on the biosynthesis and regulation of mucin-type O-glycosylation, a critical post-translational modification involved in diseases like cancer and developmental processes. Gerken's lab employs structural biology, enzyme kinetics, and computational modeling to study how initiating glycosyltransferases (ppGalNAc Ts) select peptide substrates.

• Education: PhD in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University (1977), postdoctoral training at the same institution.

Research interests include understanding O-glycosylation mechanisms, enzymatic specificity of ppGalNAc Ts, and the role of glycosylation in tumorogenesis. Current projects involve collaborations on cancer-associated glycosylation patterns and core 1 transferase activity characterization. His work is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Over 50 peer-reviewed articles span topics like Tn/STn carbohydrate interactions, GalNAc-T isoform specificity, and computational glycosylation prediction tools (e.g., ISOGlyP). Ongoing studies explore how glycosylation modulates protein function in health and disease.

Labs/Teams: Gerken's lab uses multidisciplinary approaches combining biochemistry, structural biology, and computational methods. Key collaborations include work with Dr. Stanford Markowitz on colon cancer-linked GalNAc Ts.