Molecular Biologist Joins Jackson Laboratory in Battle Against Cancer

Date: January 5, 2005

Bar Harbor, Maine - Dr. Kevin Mills, a molecular biologist who studies fundamental processes associated with some cancers, has joined The Jackson Laboratory scientific staff following a five-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Harvard Medical School.

As an Associate Staff Scientist, Mills' research will focus on the molecular mechanisms that maintain genome stability. "Breaks in DNA can spontaneously occur during the course of normal cell division," he explains, "or may result from exposure to agents in the environment. When natural DNA repair mechanisms fail, the DNA becomes unstable, which can lead to abnormal cell growth and, in some cases, cancer." Understanding these processes will help researchers to uncover the origins of tumors, as well as gain an understanding of some immunodeficiencies and developmental disorders.

The Jackson Laboratory is one of seven institutions in the United States designated by the National Cancer Institute as a Cancer Center to conduct basic research in cancer genetics.

"The Jackson Laboratory offers the research environment I was looking for," Mills commented. "I have a real commitment to the mouse as model for cancer research, and of course this is the place for that. Before coming here I spent a lot of time talking to people, and it became obvious that between the mice, the scientific services, and the intellectual environment here, this was the place for me." He said he and his family also welcome the move from Boston, Mass., to the natural beauty and small-town charm of Mount Desert Island.

Prior to his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, Mills received his B.A. in molecular biology, with a minor in biochemistry, from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1994, completing his Ph.D. in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999.

With more than 1,300 employees and a budget of $130 million, the 75-year-old Jackson Laboratory is one of Maine's largest employers. Its 465-person research staff investigates the genetic basis of cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, diabetes and many other human diseases and disorders. The Laboratory is also home of the Mouse Genome Database and many other publicly available information resources, and is an international hub for scientific courses, conferences, training and education-including programs for Maine primary school, high school, college and graduate students.

Contact(s): Joyce Peterson, 207-288-6058, joyce@jax.org

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