Patrick A. Grant, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Patrick Grant’s research focuses on the role of histone modifications in chromatin remodeling, gene expression and genomic stability. After receiving his Ph.D. in Medicine from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, where he studied the regulation of immunoglobulin genes with Dr. Sven Pettersson, Dr. Grant joined Dr. Jerry Workman’s lab as an American Cancer Society fellow studying the role of nucleosomes in transcription regulation. During this time, he was the first to identify and characterize multiple coactivator/histone acetyltransferase complexes, including the archetypal SAGA complex. He continued these studies as a Burroughs Wellcome Career Award recipient in his own lab at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. His research team identified SAGA dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease and isolated other novel epigenetic regulators and histone modifications linked to gene expression and DNA replication. At the University of Virginia, Dr. Grant served as the Associate Dean of Graduate and Medical Research Programs. He was elected to the Academy of Distinguished Educators and received the School of Medicine Award, Mulholland Awards, and Jefferson Scholars Foundation Award for excellence in teaching.

In the summer of 2020, Dr. Grant moved to the Department of Biomedical Science at the Florida Atlantic University, Schmidt College of Medicine. His current research interests involve the epigenomics of cellular proliferation, genomic modifications that mediate resistance to genotoxic cancer chemotherapeutics, and his lab collaborates in the study of molecular mechanisms underlying interventions for cocaine and opioid addiction.

Education

• 1989: B.Sc. Biology and Parasitology (honors), University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom
• 1995: Ph.D. Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1991: Ph.D. training, Brandeis University, MA, USA.
• 1995: Postdoctoral fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Inst., Penn State University, USA.

Work History

• 2000-2005: Assistant Professor, University of Virginia, School of Medicine
• 2005-2007: Associate Professor, University of Virginia, School of Medicine
• 2007-2020: Associate Professor with tenure, University of Virginia, School of Medicine
• 2013: Visiting Scientist, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
• 2019-present: Faculty Fellow of The Jefferson Scholars Foundation
• 2019-2020: Associate Dean for Graduate and Medical Scientist Programs, University of Virginia, School of Medicine
• 2020-present: Visiting Associate Professor, University of Virginia, School of Medicine
• 2020-present: Associate Professor with tenure, Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Boca Raton, FL

Scholarly Activity

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Lee, C.Y. and Grant, P.A. (2018) The Role of Histone Acetylation and Acetyltransferases in Gene Regulation. In Toxicoepigenetics: Core Principles and Applications 2nd ed., 3-30. McCullough, S.D. and Dolinoy D.C. eds. (Academic Press)
• Torok, M.S, Pray-Grant, M.G., Grant, B.M., Josephs, M.E and Grant, P.A. (2019) The Novel ReNu (Required for Nucleosomal Acetylation) region of TAF12 regulates Gcn5 nucleosomal acetylation. J. Mol. Genet. 2, 1-9.
• Abel, J.M., Nesil, T., Bakhti-Suroosh, A., Grant, P.A. and Lynch W.J. (2019) Mechanisms underlying the efficacy of exercise as an intervention for cocaine relapse: a focus on mGluR5 in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. Psychopharm. 236, 2155-71. PMID 31161451
• Pray-Grant, M.G. and Grant, P.A. (2020) Ant-icipating Change: An Epigenetic Switch in Reprogramming the Social Lives of Ants. Mol Cell 77, 205-206.

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Patents

• Grant, P.A. and McCullough, S.D. “Compositions and Methods for Treating Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7”. U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/475,0331983-1986 National Research Service Award, National Institute of Health

Honors and Awards

• 1990: Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds fellowship
• 1991: Swedish Cancerfonden fellowship
• 1992: Karolinska research fellowship
• 1998-1999: American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship
• 1999-2004: Burroughs Wellcome Career Development Award
• 2007: University of Virginia School of Medicine Award for Excellence in Teaching
• 2007: Elected to the Academy of Distinguished Educators, University of Virginia
• 2008-2010: Class of 2011, 2012, 2013 Mulholland Award for Teaching Excellence in Foundations of Medicine
• 2017-2018: Sloane Society Lecture
• 2019: Jefferson Scholars Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching
• 2019: Faculty Fellow of The Jefferson Scholars Foundation

Professional Memberships and Editorial Positions

• Editorial Board, Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Editorial Board, Journal of Biological Chemistry
• Genetics Society of America Member
• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Member
• American Society for Microbiology Member
• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Meetings Committee Member

Recent Funding

US DOD LCRP LC190551 Concept Award Role: PIA novel epigenetic mechanism conferring resistance to treatment in lung cancerProject Period: 8/1/20-7/31/21

NIH R01 DA035202 Role: Co-InvestigatorExercise as an Intervention Strategy for Cocaine Addiction in Males and Females Project Period: 4/1/15-3/31/21

NIH P30 CA044579-27 NCI Cancer Center Support Grant Sub-award Role: Sub-award PIA Novel Epigenetic Mechanism Conferring Platinum Resistance in Lung CancerProject Period: 12/5/19-10/31/20