Dr. Channing J. Der is Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his PhD from the University of California, Irvine and completed his postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since his initial discovery of RAS oncogenes in human cancer in 1982, his research has centered on the study of RAS and RHO oncoproteins and the ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling network in cancer. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) RAS Working Group and he served previously on the NCI Board of Scientific Counselors. He served on the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lustgarten Foundation. He also serves on the scientific advisory board of numerous biotech companies developing KRAS inhibitors. His honors include Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the recipient of an NCI Outstanding Investigator Award, the Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award, the Mentorship Award for Lifetime Achievement, the University of California, Irvine Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Einstein Berlin Institute of Health Visiting Fellow Award.