John W. Eaton, Ph.D.

James Graham Brown Endowed Chair of Cancer Biology; Professor of Medicine, and Pharmacology & Toxicology; Leader, Molecular Targets Program, James Graham Brown Cancer Center

Research Program
Molecular Targets

Education

B.A., Florida State University, 1963
M.A., University of Florida, 1964
M.S., University of Michigan, 1966
Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1969
M.D.hc, University of Linkoping, Sweden, 2001

Research and Professional Experience
1970-1972
Professor, Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

1972-1977
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

1977-1979
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

1979-1990
Director, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

1979-1992
Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

1979-1992
Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine/Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

1992-1996
Professor, Department of Pathology/Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY

1992-1997
Director, Division of Experimental Pathology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY

1992-1996
Professor, Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY

1994-1996
Professor, Department of Physiology/Cell Biology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY

1996-2000
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

2000-Present
Professor, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Louisville, KY

2000-Present
James Graham Brown Endowed Chair of Cancer Biology, Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville

2001-2012
Deputy Director, James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville

2001-Present
Leader, Molecular Targets Program, James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville

Selected Awards and Professional Honors

1966-1969
USPHS Graduate Training Grant (Human Genetics)

1978-1983
NIH Research Career Development Award

1988-1992; 1998-2002
Member, Hematology-2 Study Section, National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute, NIH

1996-2003
Immediate Past-Editor, Redox Report

2001, M.D.(hc), University of Linkoping, Sweden

2003-present
Member, Governance Board of the Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Fund, Commonwealth of Kentucky

2006-present
Member, Review Panel for the California Tobacco Research Program

2006-present
Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, The Bosch Institute, Sydney, Australia

2007
Mint Jubilee Scientist of the Year

2010
Distinguished Faculty Award for Career Achievement, Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity, University of Louisville

2011
Recipient, The Eminent Scientist Award for significant and lasting contributions to the James Graham Brown Cancer Center

Current Holder of ten US Letters Patents

Research Interest

Eaton does research on biological oxidation/reduction reactions which are important in inflammation and carcinogenesis. His laboratory also is active in studies of mitochondria, which are, in normal cells, the major source of energy. A current interest is in changes in mitochondrial metabolism in various types of cancer. Eaton and his colleagues are pursuing investigations into an anti-cancer vaccine made of embryonic stem cells. In mice, this vaccine prevents the outgrowth of transplantable and carcinogen-induced lung cancer. Finally, his laboratory also is investigating the importance of lysosomes - small digestive organelles present in all cells - in the process of cell death..

Publications

Qian M, Eaton JW. Glycochelates and etiology of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Free Radic Biol Med 28:652-6, 2000

Borovikova L, Ivanova S, Zhang M, Yang H, Botchkina GI, Watkins L, Wang H, Abumrad N, Eaton JW, Tracey KJ. Vagus nerve stimulation attenuates the systemic inflammatory response to endotoxin. Nature 405:458-62, 2000

Zhao M, Eaton JW, Brunk UT. Protection against oxidant-mediated lysosomal rupture: a new anti-apoptotic activity of Bcl-2? FEBS Lett 485:104-8, 2000

Goth L, Eaton JW. Hereditary catalase deficiencies and increased risk of type II diabetes. Lancet 356:1820-1, 2000

Brunk UT, Neuzil J, Eaton JW. Lysosomal involvement in apoptosis. Redox Report 6:91-7, 2001

Hu WJ, Eaton JW, Tang L. Molecular basis of biomaterial-mediated inflammatory responses. Blood 98:1231-8, 2001

Telang S, Vimr E, Mahoney JR, Law I, Lundqvist-Gustafsson H, Qian M, Eaton JW. Strain-specific iron-dependent virulence in Escherichia coli. J Infec Dis 184:159-65, 2001

Li W, Dalen H, Eaton JW, Yuan XM. Apoptotic death of inflammatory cells in human atheroma. Atheroscl Thromb Vasc Biol 2