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Christopher P. Austin, M.D. Associate Investigator Genome Technology Branch Director NIH Chemical Genomics Center Senior Advisor for Translational Research Office of the Director A.B. Princeton University, 1982 M.D. Harvard University, 1986 (301) 496-0844 (301) 402-0837 austinc@mail.nih.gov Building 31, Room 4B09 31 Center Dr, MSC 2152 Bethesda, MD 20892-2152 Selected Publications Chemistry and Biology: Partners in Decoding the Genome Recruitment for Automation Engineers

Dr. Austin’s research focuses on development of a toolbox of reagents and technologies to translate genome sequence into functional insights. As Director of the NIH Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC)- the first component of a nationwide network of screening centers that will produce innovative chemical probes for use in biological research and drug development- Dr. Austin is spearheading a chemical genomics program that brings the power and diversity of small-molecule chemistry and informatics to the elucidation of gene function. Just as the Human Genome Project greatly accelerated the scientific community’s ability to quickly identify genes, this initiative promises to greatly speed discoveries on the function of the genome and, ultimately, lead to the development of new therapies for human disease.

In the 1990’s, Dr. Austin built a group at Merck Research Laboratories that identified a large number of genes important to human disease using forward and reverse genetic and molecular approaches, together with microarray, molecular histology, and pharmacogenomic technologies. Given their importance to organism physiology and therapeutics, Dr. Austin focused particularly on the dentification of novel G-protein coupled receptors and their ligands. A developmental neurogeneticist and physician by training, he had a particular interest in using genetics to unravel the complex biology of schizophrenia. While at Merck, his group did seminal work on several schizophrenia genes and developed small-molecule modulators for two molecular targets for schizophrenia, which are now being tested for treatment of the disease.

In 2002, Dr. Austin moved to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to spearhead the Institute’s efforts to translate the newly completed human genome sequence into biological and therapeutic insights. He leads two NIH-wide projects: one is aimed at developing a reference mouse transcriptome using Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing, and the other is an international project to knockout all genes in the mouse and place the mice and phenotypic data on them into the public domain. The largest of the new programs Dr. Austin initiated is in the field known as chemical genomics, which is the use of small molecule compounds to study gene products and pathways encoded by the genome. In contrast to researchers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, most academic researchers do not have ready access to large libraries of small molecules or facilities to screen them. So, most do not use chemical biology approaches routinely in their research. Dr. Austin is a leader of the Molecular Libraries Initiative or the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, which is providing infrastructure to allow academic researchers to identify bioactive small molecule probes for gene products, pathways, and cellular phenotypes. The first component of the Molecular Libraries Screening Center Network is the NCGC, which has state-of-the-art assay development, screening, chemistry, and informatics capabilities. The NCGC will provide researchers new ways to study and annotate genomes.

Together, these translational initiatives will not only provide tools to understand individual gene functions but will also establish new paradigms to study gene interactions across the genome. In so doing, they promise to provide insights into genomic and biological complexity and, thus, accelerate the development of effective therapies for human disease.

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Last Updated: August 1, 2008