Ronald M. Evans
· Ph.DUniversity of California, San Diego · Medical Genetics
Active 1926–2026
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About
Ronald Evans, PhD, is a Professor and Director of the Gene Expression Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He is an authority on hormones, their normal activities, and their roles in disease. His major achievement includes the discovery of a large family of molecules called nuclear hormone receptors, which respond to steroid hormones, vitamin A, and thyroid hormones. These receptors are key in controlling metabolism of sugar, salt, calcium, and fat, impacting daily health and disease treatment. Evans' research has led to the development of targeted therapies for breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, osteoporosis, and asthma. He also developed a new class of drugs called exercise mimetics that promote fitness benefits without training, addressing issues related to obesity and metabolic disorders. His team identified the role of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) in insulin regulation and created a diet pill that tricks the body into burning fat, which has shown effectiveness in mice. Additionally, Evans' research uncovered the importance of REV-ERB-α and REV-ERB-β receptors in synchronizing sleep and metabolic cycles, linking circadian rhythms to metabolic health. His work on vitamin D derivatives has opened new avenues for pancreatic cancer treatment, with clinical trials underway to evaluate their efficacy.
Research topics
- Biology
- Medicine
- Internal medicine
- Biochemistry
- Endocrinology
- Pharmacology
- Immunology
- Chemistry
- Cancer research
- Genetics
Selected publications
A framework for advancing our understanding of cancer-associated fibroblasts
Nature reviews. Cancer · 2020-01-24 · 3756 citations
reviewOpen accessCancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the tumour microenvironment with diverse functions, including matrix deposition and remodelling, extensive reciprocal signalling interactions with cancer cells and crosstalk with infiltrating leukocytes. As such, they are a potential target for optimizing therapeutic strategies against cancer. However, many challenges are present in ongoing attempts to modulate CAFs for therapeutic benefit. These include limitations in our understanding…
Immunity · 2021 · 723 citations
Global chemical effects of the microbiome include new bile-acid conjugations
Nature · 2020 · 581 citations
Immunity · 2020 · 422 citations
Obesity alters pathology and treatment response in inflammatory disease
Nature · 2022 · 241 citations
Recent grants
Engineering human islet-like organoids for transplantation
NIH · $3.4M · 2018–2022
NIH · $29.0M · 2006
NIH · $5.0M · 2000
Frequent coauthors
- 509 shared
Michael Downes
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- 306 shared
Christopher Liddle
University of Sydney
- 225 shared
Ruth T. Yu
Peking University Cancer Hospital
- 213 shared
David J. Mangelsdorf
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- 137 shared
Michael G. Rosenfeld
University of California, San Diego
- 130 shared
Pierre Chambon
Institut de génétique et de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire
- 130 shared
Gregor Eichele
Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences
- 129 shared
Mitchell A. Lazar
University of Pennsylvania
Education
- 1974
PhD, Microbiology
University of California Los Angeles
- 1970
BA, Bacteriology
University of California Los Angeles
Awards & honors
- Kimberly Prize, 2025
- Rolf Luft Award, 2025
- Japan Prize in the field of Medical Science and Pharmaceutic…
- Asan Award in Basic Medicine, 2021
- NOMIS Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Award, 2020
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