B.A., University of Rochester, 1973; Ph.D., Washington University (St. Louis), 1977. Assistant Professor of Chemical Biology, Caltech, 1981-87; Associate Professor, 1987-92; Professor, 1992-99; Professor of Biochemistry, 1999-. Executive Officer, 2000-04.

The current research in the Parker lab at Caltech focuses on the molecular mechanisms cells use to respond to physiological stress such as heat shock.  We are interested in understanding how heat for example is transduced into a massive transcriptional activation response that results in the synthesis of heat shock proteins.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

Nuclear entry, oligomerization, and DNA binding of the Dorsophila heat shock transcription factor are regulated by a unique nuclear localization sequence (Genes & Development)

Site-Specific Inhibition of Transcription Factor Binding to DNA by a Metallointercalator (Biochemistry)

The Yeast Heat Shock Transcription Factor Contains a Transcriptional Activation Domain Whose Activity Is Repressed under Nonshock Conditions (Cell)

Developmental Regulation Of The Heat Shock Response By Nuclear Transport Factor Karyopherin-a3 (submitted to Genes & Development)