Bert Vogelstein

Bert Vogelstein is currently the co-Director of the Ludwig Center at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.   In the late 1980’s, he and his colleagues formulated the idea that cancer is caused by the sequential mutations of specific oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.  In the process of corroborating this model, they discovered many of the most important genetic alterations contributing to cancers.  Their basic scientific studies have been distinguished by a focus on practical applications of the knowledge gained from their work.