Franklin G. Berger

Dr. Berger attended the State University of NY at Buffalo, where he earned a BA in Biology and Chemistry in 1969. He obtained the PhD degree in Biochemistry from Purdue University in 1974. Following a short postdoctoral stint at Cornell University, Dr. Berger accepted a position at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, where he began his career in cancer research.He moved to the University of South Carolina’s Department of Biological Sciences in 1986, and is now George H. Bunch Sr. Professor there. He was Chair of that department from 1996 until 2002, during which time he founded USC’s Center for Colon Cancer Research, an interdisciplinary research center involving over 30 scientists carrying out basic research focused on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of colorectal cancer.Dr. Berger’s awards include the SC Governor’s Award in Science (2005), the Distinguished Service Award from the SC Gastroenterology Association (2009), and a Laurel Award for Cancer Prevention from the Prevent Cancer Foundation (2012). In 2010, he was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Dr. Berger’s research interests focus on understanding and overcoming tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy. His work has been supported by over $30 million in grants, primarily from the National Institutes of Health, and has resulted in ~130 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals.Dr. Berger has trained over two dozen graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in his laboratory, many of whom have gone on to careers in scientific research and education. He has taught many courses at USC, spanning the range from freshman Biology to an advanced topics course on Cancer Biology.In addition to doing research, Dr. Berger is actively engaged in community outreach activities relating to colon cancer. He has led efforts to develop awareness, education, and screening programs all across the state of South Carolina.