Executive Committee Mark R. Kelley, PhD
Dr. Kelley was appointed associate director of basic science research in 2005. Dr. Kelley, the Earl and Betty Herr Chair in Pediatric Oncology Research, also serves as associate director of the Wells Center for Pediatric Research. As associate director of basic science research, Dr. Kelley oversees all basic science activities of the IU Simon Cancer Center, including stimulating interdisciplinary research collaboration, evaluating new research opportunities, and overseeing cancer center shared facilities as well as directing the ITRAC translational initiative of the IUSCC. He recommends basic research space assignments and also has a major role in mentoring young investigators.
Dr. Kelley’s laboratory currently studies DNA repair genes involved in repairing base damage that occurs from oxidative and alkylation events in normal and tumor cells and following cancer treatments. Ongoing projects include: 1) Studying the multifunctional Ape1/Ref-1 protein structure/function in order to determine its redox and repair functions in normal and cancer cells, 2) Molecular targeted therapeutic approaches at members of the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway, 3) Role of mitochondrial DNA repair systems in normal and cancer cells, 4) Altering Ape1’s redox function and role in angiogenesis as a therapeutic approach for cancer and other indications, 5) Role of DNA repair genes in cognitive dysfunction (“chemobrain”) and peripheral neuropathy, and 6) Analyses of DNA repair genes and their relationship to chemoprevention, cancer initiation, progression, and response to treatments.
Dr. Kelley has numerous patents relating to the use of DNA repair targets for cancer therapy, including identifying methods and compositions for first the diagnostic and then the therapeutic use of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases.
Dr. Kelley received his doctoral degree in genetics from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at Rockefeller University in New York prior to serving as assistant professor at Loyola University Medical School in Chicago. Dr. Kelley currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mutation Research: Molecular and Fundamental Mechanisms, and Current Molecular Pharmacology. He is also the director for the Molecular Medicine in Action (MMIA) program for Indiana high school students and MMIA II for Indiana high school science teachers. He has been continuously funded by the NIH/NCI and the Department of Defense (DOD) for many years.