J. Alan Diehl, PhD

Chair
Department of Biochemistry
School of Medicine
Professor
Department of Biochemistry
School of Medicine
Deputy Director for Case Western Reserve University
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Member
Molecular Oncology Program
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Research Information

Research Interests

Dr. Diehl’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression with specific focus on the regulation of cell division and post-translational in cancer. The Diehl lab also explores the interconnections of lipid signaling, epigenetic regulation and the role of the unfolded protein response within tumor progression.

One major focus of Dr. Diehl’s research concerns the mechanisms whereby growth-signaling pathways regulate the cyclin D/CDK4/6 kinases and from this, the identification of therapeutic vulnerabilities. His current work focuses on the role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in the maintenance of cyclin D1 levels and the physiological function of the E3 ligase in tumor suppression. Additional work focuses on the regulation of novel downstream substrates of the cyclin D1/CDK4 kinase and their role in mediating cyclin D1-dependent effects on tumor cell gene expression networks. A second area of interest concerns how a stress-induced signaling pathway emanating from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) regulates cell cycle progression, lipid biosynthesis and cell survival during tumor progression.

Publications

View Publications

Education

PhD
University of Missouri
Post Doc
St. Jude Research Hospital and Howard Hughes Medical Institute