Dr. Anton A. Komar, a Cleveland State University professor and biotechnology entrepreneur who is an expert in the translational control of gene expression, has been appointed director of CSU’s Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD), one of the top gene-research centers in the United States.
 
Dr. Komar has extensively studied the intricate processes by which genes direct production of proteins, which in turn can influence everything from birth defects to predisposition for illnesses.
 
Dr. Komar, whose new appointment was effective January 2, 2014, is a founding member of GRHD. With $11 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the American Heart Association and other sources, the center is dedicated to enhancing our understanding of molecular mechanisms that control health and disease, as well as identifying therapeutic targets. This cutting-edge research has implications for diagnosing and treating many common diseases, including cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, neurological disease and cancer.
 
GRHD’s 15 CSU faculty members – representing the physics; chemistry; and biological, geological and environmental sciences departments – are involved in extensive collaborative networks that include the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University, as well as other leading national and international institutions. The center was launched in 2008 with funding from the Ohio Third Frontier Commission’s Ohio Research Scholars Program.
 
Dr. Komar is a co-founder and chief scientific officer of DAPCEL Inc, a research biotechnology company based in Cleveland.
 
Dr. Komar also serves as director of CSU’s Cellular and Molecular Medicine Specialization Program, the only such program at a public university in Northeast Ohio. It links the resources of CSU and the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute across three disciplines: regulatory biology, clinical-bioanalytical chemistry and applied biomedical engineering.
 
In 2010, Dr. Komar was awarded a prestigious research grant from the Human Frontier Science Program. He also has secured funding from other agencies, including grants from the American Heart Association.
 
Dr. Komar has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. He is the editor of the book Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms: Methods and Protocols and serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Translation.
 
Dr. Komar joined the CSU faculty in 2005. He earned his Ph.D. degree in molecular biology from Moscow State University and has previously worked in France, Germany and Switzerland.