W. Lee Kraus

W. Lee Kraus is a Professor and Director at the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he also holds leadership roles including Vice Chair for Basic Sciences in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assistant Director for Basic Research at the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Assistant Dean for Research Development. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Endocrine Society (2023–2026).

• Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1994)
• Postdoctoral Research, University of California, San Diego
• B.S., Cornell University (1989)

Dr. Kraus's research centers on signal-regulated transcription, chromatin and gene regulation, nuclear receptors, PARPs, and NAD+ metabolism and signaling. His work has elucidated the roles of ADP-ribosylation in transcriptional control, enhancer function, and cancer biology. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles in top journals such as Science, Cell, and Molecular Cell.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on PARP enzymes, enhancer RNAs, NAD+ compartmentalization, and the interplay between metabolism and gene regulation. Themes across his work include the functional roles of ADP-ribosylation in transcription, splicing, translation, and cancer, with implications for therapeutic development.

Scientific honors include:

• Endocrine Society’s Richard E. Weitzman Memorial Award (2007)
• Endocrine Society’s Ernst Oppenheimer Award (2014)
• Cornell University Teaching Excellence Award (2004)
• Cornell University Mentoring Excellence Award (2008)

Dr. Kraus has been a successful mentor, training 22 doctoral students, 26 postdocs, and 16 clinical fellows, most of whom have secured faculty or research positions in academia or industry. His research has been supported by grants from the NIH, American Cancer Society, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, CPRIT, and NSF. He is also active in biotech, having co-founded Ribon Therapeutics and ARase Therapeutics, and serves on scientific advisory boards for startup companies.

He leads the Kraus Lab at UT Southwestern, which continues to pioneer research in transcriptional regulation and metabolic signaling.