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 (RNAi). He is the "Gretchen Stone Cook Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology" at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Zamore is the chair of the RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI) 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  (miRNA, siRNA, piRNA) 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 60,000 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.