Fox Chase Cancer Center
Neil Johnson, PhD is an associate professor of Molecular Therapeutics at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He studies mechanisms of DNA damage detection, repair, and signaling that occur in BRCA1 mutation-containing organisms and cancers. His laboratory uses a range of approaches, including cell biology, mouse genetics, and therapy resistance modeling, to understand basic biological processes and their implications for tumorigenesis and chemotherapy sensitivity.
For the past two decades, he has studied PARP inhibitor therapy in the pre-clinical setting. He uses small molecule inhibitors to convert homologous recombination (HR) proficient cancer cells into HR-deficient cells, inducing ‘BRCAness’, and subsequently sensitizing cancers to PARP inhibitors. His laboratory has made multiple contributions toward understanding mechanisms by which BRCA1 mutation-containing alleles generate hypomorphic protein products that promote HR repair and chemotherapy resistance.
The Rivkin Center strives for excellence in our scientific programming. Our Scientific Advisory board guides the work we do and helps shape our vision for the future of ovarian cancer research. The Board is led by Dr. Mary L. (Nora) Disis, MD, our Scientific and Medical Director, and consists of nationally recognized experts in ovarian cancer research.