Lee Zou, PhD, is a professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology. His work primarily revolves around understanding the mechanisms of DNA damage and its implications in various diseases, including cancer. His research focuses on the signaling pathways associated with the maintenance of genomic integrity, specifically the checkpoint signaling system. He explores how DNA damage and DNA replication problems are detected by the ATM and ATR checkpoint pathways in human cells. His work has elucidated the mechanisms that activate the ATR checkpoints and functions in cancer cells, providing new opportunities for cancer therapy.