Maureen Murphy

Maureen E. Murphy is an American cancer researcher who works at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. Her research focuses on the tumor suppressor genes p53 and the cancer survivor protein HSP70. Previously, she was a faculty member at the Fox Chase Cancer Center from 1998 until moving to The Wistar Institute in 2011. Education and career Murphy obtained her B.Sc. in biochemistry from Rutgers University in 1987 and her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. She performed her post-doctoral work in the lab of Arnold J. Levine at Princeton University. She was a faculty member at the Fox Chase Cancer Center from 1998 until moving to the Wistar Institute in 2011. Research Murphy's research on p53 has focused on various genetic polymorphisms, or genetic variants, of p53 that exist in different populations, and which impair the ability of p53 to suppress cancer in those populations. In particular, her laboratory works on the P47S (Pro47Ser) and Y107H (Tyr107His) variants that exist in African-descent populations, and on the G334R (Gly334Arg) variant that exists in individuals of Ashkenazi descent. Using human cell lines and mouse models for these variants, her research indicates that these variants predispose to cancer risk. Murphy has also discovered anti-cancer agents that preferentially destroy tumors containing these variants in a personalized medicine approach. In addition, Murphy's research provides a possible explanation as to why certain types of cancer affect certain populations. Memberships and affiliations Murphy serves on the international committee of the International p53 Workshop and served as co-chair of the workshop in 2010.