Phillip D. Zamore


Phillip D. Zamore is an American molecular biologist and developed the first in vitro system for studying the mechanism of RNA interference. He is the Gretchen Stone Cook Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at University of Massachusetts Medical School, located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Zamore is the chair of the RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Medical School, established in 2009, and has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 2008.

Research

The Zamore lab at the RTI focuses on understanding the underlying processes of RNAi; how small RNAs are involved in gene regulation networks. In addition to a focus on basic research, the Zamore lab is working to develop novel nucleic acid-based drugs to treat human disease. Dr. Zamore has more than 40,000 citations on Google Scholar.

Biography

Zamore received his A.B. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1986 and continued graduate studies with Michael Green at Harvard, receiving his Ph.D. in 1992. After completing postdoctoral studies at The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT and the Skirball Institute at New York University Medical Center with Ruth Lehmann, David Bartel, and James R. Williamson, Zamore began his academic career as an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology in 1999 at UMass Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he is now the Gretchen Stone Cook Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology.

Involvement with biotechnology

Zamore's research has led to a career in biotechnology, co-founding Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in 2002. Alnylam is dedicated to bringing RNAi based therapies to market and developed the first-ever FDA approved RNAi drug, Patisiran, gaining FDA approval in August 2018. In 2014, Dr. Zamore co-founded another RNAi based company; Voyager Therapeutics, which focuses on developing therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders.

Selected awards and honors