Gerry Melino, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy
Gerry Melino is Professor of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata" and also at DZNE in Bonn, Germany. He is a member of the Academia Lincei as well as of the Academia Europaea. For 19 years he was programme leader at the Toxicology Unit of the Medical Research Council, Cambridge University, UK. His scientific interest focuses upon programmed cell death in cancer and skin. Gerry's major work investigates the p53 family members – p63 and p73. The molecular events driven by DNA damage to elicit the function of p63/p73 is investigated in vitro (transcriptional targets, proteosomal degradation, inhibitors) as well in ad hoc transgenic animal models.