Danzhou Yang
- Distinguished Professor | Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry
- Email: yangdz@purdue.edu
- Phone: 48148
- Office: 413B HANS
- Professor Danzhou Yang's individual homepage
Research in my laboratory is focused on structures and functions of cancer-specific DNA molecular targets and structure-based rational design of new anticancer drugs. We work on a number of molecular targets for cancer therapeutics, including DNA secondary structures such as G-quadruplexes, their biological functions and molecular interactions with small molecules and proteins, as well as targeting DNA binding of transcription factors by DNA bis-intercalating drugs. In particular, the biologically relevant DNA G-quadruplexes, including those formed in human oncogene promoters and telomere, have become attractive new molecular targets for anticancer drugs. We use a variety of biophysical, biochemical, molecular and cellular biology methods, particularly high-field NMR spectroscopy. NMR represents a major method for structural study of biologically relevant DNA secondary structures.
Education
- B.S., University of Science and Technology of China, 1989
- Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1996
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kentucky, 1999