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Kris Cameron Wood

Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
Pharmacology & Cancer Biology

Overview


Our laboratory uses genomic and pharmacological approaches to understand how tumor dependencies are shaped by cell intrinsic factors, environmental factors, and drug treatments during the dynamic process of tumor evolution. To learn more, please visit our laboratory website: https://woodlabduke.com/.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology · 2020 - Present Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Basic Science Departments
Associate Professor of Cell Biology · 2022 - Present Cell Biology, Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2012 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers
Core Faculty in Innovation & Entrepreneurship · 2018 - Present Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published February 17, 2025
Duke, NCCU Faculty Collaborate on Health Research
Published June 7, 2022
Locking Leukemia's Cellular Escape Hatch
Published March 31, 2022
Cancer Repair Mechanism Could Be Potential Drug Target

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Recent Publications


PKN2 Is a Dependency of the Mesenchymal-like Cancer Cell State.

Journal Article Cancer Discov · March 3, 2025 Cancer cells exploit a mesenchymal-like transcriptional state (MLS) to survive drug treatments. Although the MLS is well characterized, few therapeutic vulnerabilities targeting this program have been identified. In this study, we systematically identify t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pathway Coessentiality Mapping Reveals Complex II is Required for de novo Purine Biosynthesis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Journal Article bioRxiv · March 2, 2025 Understanding how cellular pathways interact is crucial for treating complex diseases like cancer, yet our ability to map these connections systematically remains limited. Individual gene-gene interaction studies have provided insights 1,2 , but they miss ... Full text Link to item Cite

Oncogenic HRAS Induces Metformin Resistance in Head and Neck Cancer by Promoting Glycolytic Metabolism.

Journal Article Cancer Prev Res (Phila) · December 3, 2024 Metformin administration has recently emerged as a candidate strategy for the prevention of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the intricate relationship between genetic alterations in HNSCC and metformin sensitivity is still poorly un ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Duke Research Training Program in Surgical Oncology

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

The Duke Preparing Research scholars In bioMEdical sciences (PRIME): Cancer Research Program

ResearchPreceptor · Awarded by National Cancer Institute · 2023 - 2028

ASPET SURF Institutional Award

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEParticipating Faculty Member · Awarded by American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics · 2018 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 2007 Ph.D.

External Links


Wood Lab