[2] Arul Chinnaiyan received both PhD and MD degrees at the University of Michigan Medical School in 1999.

[6] The focus of his research is molecular profiling of cancer to discover novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

It is generally believed that blood cancers are caused by chromosome translocation such as Bcr-Abl in chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), whereas solid tumors are caused by mutations in growth or tumour suppressor genes.

In research which challenges the current dogma, Arul has discovered chromosome translocation in solid prostate tumours.

Arul has discovered that this translocation occurs between a male hormone related gene TMPRSS2 and transcription factors of the Erythroblast transformation specific (ETS) family.