Dr. Malcolm R. Whitman

Dr. Malcolm Whitman received his undergraduate degree in biology from Yale College and his PhD from the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department at Harvard University. He is a professor of developmental biology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and an affiliate member of the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the BBS graduate program, an affiliate of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Cancer Cell Biology Program, and a member of the executive committee for the Harvard Developmental and Regenerative Biology program.

As an independent investigator, Whitman has focused on signals that control tissue specification and remodeling in normal embryogenesis and disease pathogenesis. His lab identified the first Smad-interacting transcription factor, FAST-1, and demonstrated its central role in the regulation of early developmental patterning by TGFß ligands. More recent work in his lab established the mechanism of action of the small molecule halofuginone as a therapeutic for treating pathological tissue remodeling associated with chronic inflammation and fibrosis. The discovery of the first secreted tyrosine kinase, VLK, in his lab has introduced a new mechanism for regulating matrix remodeling, a major area of interest in his research. While the lab primarily focuses on understanding basic molecular mechanisms that regulate tissue remodeling, Whitman is also involved in applying this knowledge to develop new treatments for diseases such as autoimmune disorders, fibrosis, and arthritis.