Rand M. Miller, PhD

Dr. Miller is interested in understanding the mechanisms by which cancers become resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. Many cancers acquire resistance to drugs by overproducing molecular “pumps” called multidrug resistance (MDR) proteins, which actively export the toxic drug molecules out of cells. Using a variety of chemical techniques, he will investigate how these pumps mediate drug resistance in cancers, as well as their roles in the maintenance of healthy cellular function. Ultimately, this work may facilitate the design of better compounds targeting MDR pumps to overcome drug resistance.