Dr. Trevor Penning

Biography

Trevor M. Penning is a Professor in the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He serves as the Molinoff Professor and is a member of the Abramson Cancer Center, where he co-leads the Tobacco Environmental Carcinogenesis Program. Dr. Penning is also the Director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology and has notable roles in the Environmental Health Sciences training program. His research focuses on the biochemical mechanisms underlying steroid hormone transformations, specifically through the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily, which plays crucial roles in metabolism and receptor regulation of steroid hormones. He has worked on developing selective inhibitors for AKR1C3, which is implicated in castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and has published extensively on the metabolic pathways of chemical carcinogens. His laboratory utilizes advanced techniques such as x-ray crystallography, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and various spectroscopy methods to uncover details about drug metabolism and carcinogen activation.

Research Interests