Distinguished Professor, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA;
Senior Research Scientist at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health System

Dr. Rozengurt discovered that neuro-hormonal signals that act via heptahelical G protein-coupled (GPCRs), are potent cellular growth factors and function as autocrine/paracrine mitogens for human cancer cells. He studies the transmission of the neuro-hormonal signal from surface receptors to the nucleus through a number of transduction pathways, typically serine/threonine and tyrosine protein kinase cascades. He discovered a novel protein kinase termed protein kinase D (PKD), the founding member of a new protein kinase family implicated as a critical node in signal transduction. Research activities in this area include a detailed analysis to define the contribution of different domains and phosphorylation sites of PKD to its regulation and intracellular localization. Dr. Rozengurt is also interested in identifying the gene regulatory networks controlled by this kinase family in intestinal and pancreatic epithelial cells, including the b-catenin and YAP/TAZ signaling pathways. Dr. Rozengurt and his collaborators are also elucidating the systemic and cellular signaling mechanism by which diet-induced obesity promotes pancreatic pre-neoplastic lesions and their conversion of carcinoma in situ to invasive ductal pancreatic carcinoma.

ERozengurt@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-6610

US MAILING ADDRESS:
Enrique Rozengurt
UCLA Med-Div of Digestive Dis
BOX 956949, 44-144 CHS
Los Angeles, CA 90095-6949