Dr. Benjamin Kwok

Biography

After studying at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Benjamin Kwok joined Yale University in 1997 for doctoral studies in biochemistry under the supervision of Craig M. Crews, characterizing the effects of bioactive natural products on the proteasome. After obtaining his doctorate in 2002, he returned to New York to join Tarun Kapoor's team at Rockefeller University for a six-year postdoctoral fellowship, where he mastered advanced microscopy techniques for studying cell division. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which kinesin motors and other microtubule-associated proteins contribute to maintaining the mitotic spindle. He employs a multidisciplinary approach that combines protein biochemistry, cell biology, and high-resolution microscopy to explore spindle formation in vertebrate cell cultures and in vitro reconstitution assays. Inhibition of mitotic spindle assembly blocks cell cycle progression, presenting an effective strategy in cancer treatment. His research unit aims to clarify these molecular mechanisms and develop small molecular chemical tools that could be utilized in biomedical research and potentially serve as chemotherapeutics in the fight against cancer.

Research Interests

Experience