Keith Burridge, PhD, a UNC Lineberger member and professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, was recognized for his efforts to advance cell biology and its applications.
The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Fellows Award recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of cell biology and to the community of cell biologists through their service to ASCB. Fellows are nominated by their peers or through self-nomination, followed by evaluation and selection by a Fellows Nomination Review Committee.
Burridge’s research has for many years aimed at understanding how cells interact with their neighbors and with the extracellular matrix which surrounds them and to which they adhere. With his lab, he was responsible for discovering several of the key proteins involved in cell adhesion. Cell adhesion is important in cell migration and is critical to the integrity of tissues. It is often altered in pathological conditions such as cancer where tumor cells may break away from their neighbors and invade new sites and tissues. Understanding how cell adhesion is regulated may provide potential therapies to inhibit tumor cell invasion.
Burridge, along with the other 2017 fellows, will be honored at the ASCB Annual Meeting this December in Philadelphia.