Joan Brugge: Running rings around cancer

JCB • VOLUME 189 • NUMBER 6 • 2010 922 J oan Brugge was an undergraduate at Northwestern University when her sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Her sister’s doctors couldn’t say what caused the disease; they speculated that a virus might be involved. This spurred Brugge’s lifelong quest to learn about the causes of cancer, starting with the study of tumor viruses (1). Brugge identifi ed the protein encoded by the src transforming gene of Rous sarcoma virus and its cellular homologue as a postdoc in Ray Erikson’s lab at the University of Colorado (2). She further characterized the cellular Src protein during her time as a group leader at Stonybrook and the University of Pennsylvania (3). Later, following a brief stint in the private sector, she set up shop at Harvard Medical School to study the cellular processes that drive the striking morphological and phenotypic changes that accompany cancerous transformation in humans (4–6). A leader in the fi eld of cancer biology, Brugge manages a vibrant research program while meeting the demands of chairing the Department of Cell Biology. But, she took time out to chat with us about her career—past, present, and future.