David Livingston

About

David J. Livingston is a professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard University. His work has been central to guiding the Harvard Biochemical Sciences Tutorial Program for decades, including serving as Head Tutor from 1972 to 1996. His contributions emphasize the importance of learning how to think about scientific problems and how discoveries emerge from evidence, reflecting a focus on scientific thinking and evidence-based understanding. Livingston's role in the program highlights his dedication to fostering intellectual relationships between students and practicing scientists, mentoring students in scientific concepts, research papers, and career development. His long-standing involvement in the tutorial program underscores his commitment to undergraduate education in the life sciences and the development of future leaders in science.

Research topics

• Genetics
• Biology
• Cell biology
• Molecular biology
• Chemistry
• Computational biology

Selected publications

• BRCA1 binds TERRA RNA and suppresses R-Loop-based telomeric DNA damage

  Nature Communications · 2021 · 91 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  R-loop structures act as modulators of physiological processes such as transcription termination, gene regulation, and DNA repair. However, they can cause transcription-replication conflicts and give rise to genomic instability, particularly at telomeres, which are prone to forming DNA secondary structures. Here, we demonstrate that BRCA1 binds TERRA RNA, directly and physically via its N-terminal nuclear localization sequence, as well as telomere-specific shelterin proteins in an R-loop-, and a…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• BRCA1 and RNAi factors promote repair mediated by small RNAs and PALB2–RAD52

  Nature · 2021 · 50 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• RAP80 and BRCA1 PARsylation protect chromosome integrity by preventing retention of BRCA1-B/C complexes in DNA repair foci

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2020 · 18 citations

  BRCA1 promotes error-free, homologous recombination-mediated repair (HRR) of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs). When excessive and uncontrolled, BRCA1 HRR activity promotes illegitimate recombination and genome disorder. We and others have observed that the BRCA1-associated protein RAP80 recruits BRCA1 to postdamage nuclear foci, and these chromatin structures then restrict the amplitude of BRCA1-driven HRR. What remains unclear is how this process is regulated. Here we report that both BRCA1 po…

  DOI

• <i>BRCA1/Trp53</i> heterozygosity and replication stress drive esophageal cancer development in a mouse model

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2021-10-04 · 11 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Significance Although germline heterozygous BRCA1 mutations predispose human carriers to cancer, heterozygous mouse BRCA1 mutations do not. We find that exposure to a source of upper gastrointestinal replication stress (RS) elicited a marked cancer incidence in Brca1 +/− ;Trp53 +/− heterozygous mice but not in wild-type mice ( Brca1 +/+ ;Trp53 +/− ). Oral delivery of 4 nitroquinoline-1-oxide induced esophageal epithelial RS, an increased esophageal mutation rate, loss of esophageal Brca1 heteroz…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• List of Speakers from 26th Pezcoller Symposium: Cancers Driven by Hormones

  2023-03-30

  preprintOpen access

  &lt;p&gt;List of Speakers&lt;/p&gt;

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant P01CA050661

  NIH · $73.2M · 2015

• NIH Grant R37CA015751

  NIH · $7.0M · 2008

• NIH Grant P01NS033718

  NIH · $6.8M · 2000

Frequent coauthors

• Ralph Scully

  Cancer Research Institute

  132 shared

• Richard Eckner

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  69 shared

• Dennis C. Lynch

  Harvard University

  68 shared

• James A. DeCaprio

  Harvard University

  67 shared

• Andrew L. Kung

  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

  66 shared

• Ronny Drapkin

  64 shared

• I Bikel

  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

  56 shared

• Shridar Ganesan

  Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

  49 shared

Labs

• Harvard’s Biochemical Sciences Tutorial ProgramPI

Similar researchers at Harvard University

• Nathanael Grayh-185
• Stephen Harrisonh-162
• Joshua Sanesh-157