Benjamin R. Schrank, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of CNS - Rad Onc Clinical, Division of Radiation Oncology
About Dr. Benjamin R. Schrank
Benjamin Schrank, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research. He holds a dual appointment in the Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis at MD Anderson. Dr. Schrank’s research program develops new therapies for treatment-resistant cancers. His discoveries have been published in top-tier journals including Nature, Nature Biomedical Engineering, and Nature Cancer. The goal of his research group is to uncover and target how genome instability reprograms the tumor immune microenvironment. Current projects in the lab include ecDNA-driven immune remodeling and first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate engineering.
Dr. Schrank holds an M.D. from the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and a Ph.D. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences in New York, NY. His F30-supported doctoral work used Xenopus laevis cell-free systems to elucidate mechanisms of genome instability and repair. His expertise bridges clinical radiation oncology with foundational genetics, bioengineering, and innate immune signaling. Dr. Schrank is an NIH K08 awardee, and his work is currently supported by the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Discovery Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Assistant Professor, CNS Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Assistant Professor, Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Assistant Professor, Physician-Scientist, Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2020 | Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY, US, Medical Scientist Training Program, M.D |
| 2019 | Columbia Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, New York, NY, US, Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Ph.D |
| 2011 | Brown University/The University of Oxford, Providence, RI, US, Neuroscience, Bachelor of Science |
Postgraduate Training
| 2024-2025 | American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow, Experimental Therapeutics, The American Cancer Society, Houston, Texas |
| 2021-2025 | Resident Physician, Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2020-2021 | Transitional Year Resident Physician, Internal Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2026 | American Board of Radiology (ABR) - Radiation Oncology |
| 2025 | Drug Enforcement Administration License (DEA) |
| 2025 | Texas Medical Board |
| 2025 | Basic Life Support (BLS) |
| 2021 | Texas Medical Board |
Experience & Service
Other Professional Positions
UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Admissions Committee, Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2026 - Present
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Committee Member, UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Admissions Committee, UT Health Houston, 2026 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2026 - Present | Komen Career Catalyst Research Award, Komen Foundation |
| 2026 - Present | CCSG New Faculty Award, Cancer Center Support Grant |
| 2026 - Present | Hirshberg Foundation Seed Grant program, Hirshberg Foundation |
| 2025 - Present | CPRIT Scholar Award, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas |
| 2025 - Present | K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award, The National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health |
| 2025 | Brown Award for Resident Excellence in Radiation Oncology, Texas Radiological Society |
| 2024 | Jesse H. Jones Endowed Fellowship in Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2024 | Annual Meeting Basic Transitional Award in Biology, The American Society for Radiation Oncology |
| 2024 | Resident Excellence Award for Professionalism, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2023 - 2024 | RSNA Resident Research Award, The Radiological Society of North America |
| 2023 | Leading Edge of Cancer Symposium, 1st Place Trainee Research, The James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2023 | Annual Meeting Travel Award in Biology, The American Society for Radiation Oncology |
| 2023 | AMGEN Award in Basic Science Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2022 - 2024 | Radiation Oncology Strategic Initiatives Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2022 | Mary Fletcher Memorial Award For Patient Care, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2021 | Intern of the Year Award, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |
| 2019 | Titus Munson Coan Prize for Excellence in Research, Columbia University |
| 2018 - 2020 | F30 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral NRSA, The National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health |
| 2018 | Cellular, Molecular & Biomedical Studies Retreat, 1st Place Talk, Columbia University |
| 2017 | 1st Place MD/PhD Research Symposium Prize, Columbia University |
| 2011 | John P. Donoghue Prize Recipient for Neuroscience Research, Brown University |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. Microbial Mimicry for Immunotherapy: A CD47-ADC That Ignites Myeloid Functionalities. Invited. James P. Allison Institute Seminar Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Listeria weaponizes antitumor immune responses for T cell immunity. Invited. The Leading Edge of Cancer Symposium. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. Opportunities to Advance Best Clinical Practices for SGM Patients Through Staff Education and Data Collection. Invited. Psychiatry Educational Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Conjugation of Listeriolysin O to CD47: Harnessing Listeria to Weaponize Macrophages Against Tumor Cells. Invited. Trainee Research Day. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2017. Nuclear actin polymerization drives DNA double-strand break clustering for homology-directed repair. Invited. 43rd Annual Mark Lippard Lecture. New York, NY, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2024. A microbial-inspired antibody-drug conjugate for cancer immunotherapy. Invited. Texas Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. Dallas, TX, US.
- 2024. Listeria-inspired phagosome escape drives STING responses to CD47 blockade. Invited. Texas Radiological Society Annual Meeting. Dallas, TX, US.
- 2017. Nuclear actin polymerization drives DNA double-strand break clustering for homology-directed repair. Invited. New York Academy of Sciences Genome Integrity Meeting. New York, NY, US.
National Presentations
- 2024. A Microbial-Inspired Antibody-Drug Conjugate Unleashes Macrophage Functionalities for Cancer Immunotherapy. Invited. American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C, District of Columbia, US.
- 2024. Listeria-inspired phagosome escape drives STING responses to CD47 blockade. Poster. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA, US.
- 2023. Challenges and Opportunities: Piloting SOGI Data Collection and Staff Training in an Academic Medical Center. Invited. The Science of Health Equity Annual Meeting. New York, NY, US.
- 2023. Listeriolysin O Drives Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to CD47 Immunotherapy. Invited. American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA, US.
- 2023. The Ethics of Inclusion for Sexual & Gender Minorities in Clinical Trials. Invited. SITC Diversity Roundtable on Clinical Trial Enrollment. Houston, TX, US.
- 2022. Harnessing Listeria Toxin to Weaponize Macrophages Against Tumor Cells. Invited. American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX, US.
- 2016. Assessing the contributions of actin filaments to DNA double-strand break repair. Invited. American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA, US.
International Presentations
- 2018. Nuclear Arp2/3 drives DNA double-strand break clustering for homology-directed repair. Invited. Nuclear Dynamics & Chromatin Organization in Genome Maintenance EMBO conference. Strasbourg, FR.
Formal Peers
- 2025. Oligometastatic Lung Cancer: Cases & Consolidation. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Cases & Consolidation. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Sarcoma: Cases & Consolidation. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Gastric Cancer: Background & Papers. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Meningioma: Background & Papers. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Radiation Oncology Planning Clinic Course Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2021. Oropharynx Cancer: Background & Papers. Houston, Texas, US.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2026 - Present |
| Title: | An engineered HER2-directed immunotherapy against metastatic breast cancer |
| Funding Source: | Komen Foundation |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | CCR261550869 |
| Date: | 2026 - 2031 |
| Title: | Engineering STING-activating nanoantioxidants to amplify innate immunity for cancer immunotherapy |
| Funding Source: | National Cancer Institute |
| Role: | Co-I |
| ID: | FP00027900 |
| Date: | 2026 - Present |
| Title: | Reprogramming Antigen Presentation in Pancreatic Cancer Using Immunostimulatory Antibody-Drug Conjugates |
| Funding Source: | Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | HF-2025-058 |
| Date: | 2025 - Present |
| Title: | Targeting ecDNA in Antigen-Presenting Cells for Breast Cancer Immunity |
| Funding Source: | Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | FP00024715 |
| Date: | 2025 - Present |
| Title: | Targeting Immune Recognition of ecDNA for Cancer Immunotherapy |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | RR250092 |
| Date: | 2025 - Present |
| Title: | Harnessing ecDNA Detection in Antigen-Presenting Cells for Anti-Tumor Immunity |
| Funding Source: | National Cancer Institute |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | K08CA296776 |
| Date: | 2024 - 2025 |
| Title: | Listeriolysin O Drives Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to CD47 Immunotherapy |
| Funding Source: | The American Society of Clinical Oncology |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 2024YIA-0832385427 |
| Date: | 2024 - 2025 |
| Title: | Enhancing Tumor-Immune Interactions in Breast Cancer via an Immunostimulatory Antibody-Drug Conjugate |
| Funding Source: | The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | FP00022175 |
| Date: | 2024 - 2025 |
| Title: | Listeria weaponizes antitumor immune responses to promote T cell immunity |
| Funding Source: | The American Cancer Society |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | PF-24-1156745-01-ET |
| Date: | 2023 - 2024 |
| Title: | Listeriolysin O Enhances Radiation Responses to Phagocytosis Checkpoint Blockade |
| Funding Source: | The Radiological Society of North America |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | RR2334 |
| Date: | 2018 - 2020 |
| Title: | F30 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral NRSA |
| Funding Source: | National Cancer Institute |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | CA217049 |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Ha, JH, Wang, Y, Ma, Y, Wu, A, Dong, S, Jeong, S, Edwards, J, Chang, M, Chang, YT, Wang, X, Dufilho, M, Najarro Torres, M, McCabe, S, Deng, W, Grippin, A, Weinberg, J, Raza, SM, DeMonte, F, McCutcheon, IE, Prabhu, SS, Ferguson, SD, Ene, CI, Akdemir, KC, Basu, S, Jindal, S, Schrank, B, Hu, J, Goswami, S, Puduvalli, VK, Lang Jr, FF, Huntoon, K, Sharma, P, Kim, BY, Jiang, W. Dual phagocytosis-checkpoint blockade revitalizes immune surveillance in mouse models of glioblastoma. Nature communications 17(1), 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 41803138.
- Gold, BO, Arzola, A, Schrank, B, Morris, VK, Marques, C, Gilliland, J, Atkinson, TM, Holliday, EB. Sexual Toxicity After Chemoradiation for Anal Cancer Among Men Who Have Sex With Men. Advances in Radiation Oncology 11(3), 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 41631252.
- Grippin AJ, Marconi C, Copling S, Li N, Braun C, Woody C, Young E, Gupta P, Wang M, Wu A, Jeong SD, Soni D, Weidert F, Xie C, Goldenberg E, Kim A, Zhao C, DeVries A, Castillo P, Lohray R, Rooney MK, Schrank BR, Wang Y, Ma Y, Chang E, Kouzy R, Dyson K, Jafarnia J, Nariman N, Gladish G, New J, Argueta A, Amaya D, Thomas N, Doty A, Chen J, Copling N, Alatrash G, Simon J, Davies AB, Dennis W, Liang R, Lewis J, Wei X, Rinsurongkawong W, Vaporciyan AA, Johns A, Lee J, Lee JH, Sun R, Sharma P, Tran H, Zhang J, Gibbons DL, Wargo J, Kim BYS, Heymach JV, Mendez-Gomez HR, Jiang W, Sayour EJ, Lin SH. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines sensitize tumours to immune checkpoint blockade. Nature 647(8089):488-497, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41125896.
- Schrank BR, Kim BYS. Uncovering the hidden landscape of tumour antigens. Nat Rev Immunol 25(7):482, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40506469.
- Wang Y, Song H, Teng Y, Huang G, Qian J, Wang H, Dong S, Ha J, Ma Y, Chang M, Jeong SD, Deng W, Schrank BR, Grippin A, Wu A, Edwards JL, Zhang Y, Lin Y, Poon W, Wilhelm S, Bi Y, Teng L, Wang Z, Kim BYS, Jiang W. A Generative Artificial Intelligence Copilot for Biomedical Nanoengineering. ACS Nano 19(20):19394–19407, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40367350.
- Schrank BR, Wang Y, Wu A, Tran N, Lee D, Edwards J, Huntoon K, Dong S, Ha J, Ma Y, Grippin AJ, Jeong SD, Antony A, Chang M, Kang M, Gallup TD, Koong AC, Li J, Yun K, Kim B, Jiang W. An antibody–toxin conjugate targeting CD47 linked to the bacterial toxin listeriolysin O for cancer immunotherapy. Nature Cancer 6(3):511-527, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40000910.
- Wu SY, Fang PQ, Fetooh A, Manzar GS, Corrigan KL, Schrank BR, Nasr L, Chihara D, Malpica Castillo LE, Nair R, Steiner RE, Jain P, Neelapu SS, Strati P, Nastoupil LJ, Dabaja BS, Pinnix CC, Gunther JR. Ultra–Low-Dose Radiation for Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma of the Lung. Advances in Radiation Oncology 9(12):101648, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39524525.
- Manzar GS, Cha EE, Corrigan KL, Yoder AK, Schrank BR, Nasr LF, Chihara D, Castillo LM, Nair R, Jain P, Neelapu SS, Rodriguez MA, Strati P, Nastoupil LJ, Gunther JR, Dabaja BS, Pinnix CC, Wu SY, Fang PQ. Outcomes and toxicities in patients with diffuse-large B cell lymphoma involving the gastrointestinal tract and digestive organs. Frontiers in Oncology 11(14):1447020, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39324011.
- Lee D, Huntoon K, Wang Y, Kang M, Lu Y, Jeong SD, Link TM, Gallup TD, Qie Y, Li X, Dong S, Schrank BR, Grippin AJ, Antony A, Ha J, Chang M, An Y, Wang L, Jiang D, Li J, Koong AC, Tainer JA, Jiang W, Kim BY. Synthetic cationic helical polypeptides for the stimulation of antitumour innate immune pathways in antigen-presenting cells. Nature Biomedical Engineering 8(5):593-610, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38641710.
- Schrank BR, Fuller JA, Gallagher CM, Morris VK, Holliday EB, Merriman K, Nguyen L, Weaver L, Nelson K, Chiao E, Koong AC, Hawk E, Chang S. Institution-Wide Retreats Foster Organizational Learning and Action at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Journal of Cancer Education 39(4):368-373, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38468110.
- Dong S, Liu X, Bi Y, Wang Y, Antony A, Lee D, Huntoon K, Jeong S, Ma Y, Li X, Deng W, Schrank BR, Grippin AJ, Ha J, Kang M, Chang M, Zhao Y, Sun R, Sun X, Yang J, Chen J, Tang SK, Lee L, Lee AS, Teng L, Wang S, Teng L, Kim BY, Yang Z, Jiang W. Adaptive design of mRNA-loaded extracellular vesicles for targeted immunotherapy of cancer. Nature Communications 14(1):6610, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37857647.
- Wang Y, Deng W, Lee D, Yan L, Lu Y, Dong S, Huntoon K, Antony A, Li X, Ye R, Zhao Y, Zhao F, Schrank BR, Ha J, Kang M, Yang M, Gong P, Lorenzi PL, Tan L, Gallup TD, Tang SK, Yang Z, Li J, Sanford NN, Wang H, Kim BY, Jiang W. Age-associated disparity in phagocytic clearance affects the efficacy of cancer nanotherapeutics. Nature Nanotechnology 19(2):255-263, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37723279.
- You Y, Tian Y, Yang Z, Shi J, Kwak KJ, Tong Y, Estania AP, Cao J, Hsu W, Liu Y, Chiang C, Schrank BR, Huntoon K, Lee D, Li Z, Zhao Y, Zhang H, Gallup TD, Ha J, Dong S, Li X, Wang Y, Lu W, Bahrani E, Lee LJ, Teng L, Jiang W, Lan F, Kim BY, Lee AS. Intradermally delivered mRNA-encapsulating extracellular vesicles for collagen-replacement therapy. Nature Biomedical Engineering 7(7):887-900, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36635419.
- Zagelbaum J, Schooley A, Zhao J, Schrank BR, Callen E, Zha S, Gottesman ME, Nussenzweig A, Rabadan R, Dekker J, Gautier J. Multiscale reorganization of the genome following DNA damage facilitates chromosome translocations via nuclear actin polymerization. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 30(1):99-106, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36564591.
- Lu Y, Huntoon K, Lee D, Wang Y, Ha J, Qie Y, Li X, Schrank BR, Dong S, Gallup TD, Kang M, Zhao H, An Y, Yang Z, Li J, Kim BY, Jiang W. Immunological conversion of solid tumours using a bispecific nanobioconjugate for cancer immunotherapy. Nature Nanotechnology 17(12):1332-1341, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36357792.
- Rodriguez S, Sahin A, Schrank BR, Al-Lawati H, Costantino I, Benz E, Fard D, Albers AD, Cao L, Gomez AC, Evans K, Ratti E, Cudkowicz M, Frosch MP, Talkowski M, Sorger PK, Hyman BT, Albers MW. Genome-encoded cytoplasmic double-stranded RNAs, found in C9ORF72 ALS-FTD brain, propagate neuronal loss. Science Translational Medicine 13(601):eaaz4699, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34233951.
- Schrank BR, Aparicio T, Li Y, Chang W, Chait BT, Gundersen GG, Gottesman ME, Gautier J. ARP2/3 drives DNA break clustering for homology-directed repair. Nature 559(7712):61-66, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29925947.
- Brown TE, Chirila AM, Schrank BR, Kauer AJ. Loss of interneuron LTD and attenuated pyramidal cell LTP in Trpv1 and Trpv3 KO mice. Hippocampus 23(8):662-671, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23536486.
- Cao L, Schrank BR, Rodriguez S, Benz EG, Moulia TW, Rickenbacher GT, Gomez AC, Levites Y, Edwards SR, Golde TE, Hyman BT, Barnea G, Albers MW. Aβ alters the connectivity of olfactory neurons in the absence of amyloid plaques in vivo. Nature Communications 3(1):1009, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22910355.
- Goel R, Schrank BR, Arora S, Boylan B, Fleming B, Miura H, Newman PJ, Molthen RC, Newman DK. Site-Specific Effects of PECAM-1 on Atherosclerosis in LDL Receptor–Deficient Mice. Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis & Vascular Biology 28(11):1996-2002, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18669884.
Invited Articles
- Schrank, BR, Colbert, LE. Genomic biomarkers predict response to combined ATR inhibition and radiotherapy. Clinical Cancer Research 30(24):5505-5507, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39422899.
- Wang Y, Schrank BR, Jiang W, Kim BYS. Learning what keeps nanomedicines in tumours. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39271934.
Review Articles
- Schrank, BR, Gautier, J. Assembling nuclear domains: Lessons from DNA repair. Journal of Cell Biology 218(8):2444-2455, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31324649.
Other Articles
- Zagelbaum J, Schooley A, Zhao J, Schrank BR, Callen E, Zha S, Gottesman ME, Nussenzweig A, Rabadan R, Dekker J, Gautier J Author Correction: Multiscale reorganization of the genome following DNA damage facilitates chromosome translocations via nuclear actin polymerization. Nat Struct Mol Biol 30(7):1048, 2023. PMID: 37059902.
Editorials
- Sherry AD, Rooney MK, Bernard V, Seo A, Marqueen KE, Schrank BR. Residency Interviews in Radiation Oncology After COVID-19: Perspectives From Recently Matched Applicants. International Journal of Radiation Oncology* Biology* Physics 108(2):452-454, 2020. PMID: 32890530.
Abstracts
- Schrank, BR, Wang, Y, Jiang, W. A Microbial-Inspired Antibody-Drug Conjugate Unleashes Macrophage Functionalities for Cancer Immunotherapy. American Society for Radiation Oncology 120(2):S96-S97, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Schrank, BR, Wang, Y, Antony, A, Jiang, W. Listeria-inspired phagosome escape drives STING responses to CD47 blockade. American Association for Cancer Research 84(6):725, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Schrank, BR, Wang, Y, Antony, A, Jiang, W. Listeriolysin O Drives Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to CD47 Immunotherapy. American Society for Radiation Oncology 117(2):S104, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Schrank, BR, Wang, Y, Jiang, W. Conjugation of Listeriolysin O to Anti-CD47 mAb: Harnessing Listeria Toxin to Weaponize Macrophages against Tumor Cells. American Society for Radiation Oncology 114(3):S42, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Schrank, BR, Casado, TA, Gautier, J. Understanding the role of actin filaments in DNA double-strand break repair. American Society of Cell Biology 27, 2016. e-Pub 2016.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified August 07, 2026