Dr. Aaronson participated in the discovery of the first normal function of an oncogene and the demonstration that genes encoding growth factors could be transforming (sis/PDGF). He subsequently discovered erbB2 as an erbB-related gene amplified in a primary human breast cancer, and genes for other growth factor signaling molecules activated as oncogenes in human malignancies. Dr. Aaronson’s research has contributed to the development of novel cancer drugs including Herceptin which targets ERBB2, and KGF/FGF7, discovered by him as a unique epithelial cell acting growth factor and which became a drug for treatment of mucositis, a debilitating side effect of certain cancer therapies. His discoveries, including erbB3, PDGFR alpha, and HGF as the ligand for MET, have led to other approved drugs as well as those currently in clinical development as cancer therapeutics. More recently, Dr. Aaronson identified a Wnt autocrine activation mechanism, which helps to drive the malignant phenotype of some human breast, ovary, lung, and soft tissue tumors.