Research / Clinical
Summary
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Steven Briggs, PhD
Professor, Biological Sciences
Cancer Genetics Program
Contact by Email
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Diseases/Research Topics
Bioinformatics, Embryonic Stem Cells, Gene Discovery, Gene Expression, Gene Regulation, Genomics, Proteomics, Stem Cells
Dr. Briggs received his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Michigan State University in 1982 and then joined the world's largest seed company, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, to build a research program on crop gene discovery.
Dr. Briggs was the first to isolate a disease resistance gene from plants and to explain how natural genetic mechanisms can block infection. He left Pioneer in 1998 as both a Research Fellow and Research Director of the combined genomics program with DuPont.
From 1987 to 1990 Dr. Briggs was Senior Staff Investigator at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he worked to develop the first functional genomics technology for plants. Dr. Briggs discovered genes that control several aspects of development and hormone biosynthesis.
In 1998, Dr. Briggs founded the Torrey Mesa Research Institute which rapidly became the leading center for plant genomics. He led teams that produced the first crop genome sequence, that of rice, the largest genome done at that time, and made several technology innovations and discoveries in gene expression and proteomics.
As Sr. Vice President for Corporate Research at Diversa from 2003 to 2004, Dr. Briggs invented a method to create protein drugs that can regulate any human gene. These designed regulatory proteins are now being used by Dr. Briggs to better understand and control embryonic stem cells. In addition, Dr. Briggs continues his research on plant infectious disease. Dr. Briggs teaches an upper division undergraduate course in bioinformatics and offers graduate seminars on stem cell systems biology.
Dr. Briggs was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2000.
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