Ronald A. DePinho, M.D.
Department of Cancer Biology, Division of VP, Research
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, Division of Basic Science Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Harry Graves Burkhart III Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Past President, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2017 | Hofstra University, New York, NY, USA, PhD (Hon.), Honorary |
| 1998 | Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA, MS (Hon.), Honorary |
| 1981 | Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA, MD, Microbiology & Immunology |
| 1977 | Fordham College, New York, NY, USA, BS, Biological Sciences |
Postgraduate Training
| 1984-1985 | Postdoctoral Fellowship, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, Bronx, NY |
| 1984-1988 | Postdoctoral Fellowship, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, New York, NY |
Board Certifications
| 1984 | Board Certified in Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Professor of Medicine (Genetics), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 1998 - 2011
Professor, Department of Departments of Microbiology & Immunology, and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 1997 - 1998
Associate Professor, Department of Departments of Microbiology & Immunology, and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 1993 - 1997
Assistant Professor, Department of Departments of Microbiology & Immunology, and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 1988 - 1993
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Founder & Chair, Unite to Prevent Cancer, Washington, DC, 2019 - Present
Founder & Director, Eliminate Cancer Initiative, New York, NY, 2017 - 2018
Founder & Director, Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 2004 - 2011
Scientific Director, Mouse Specialized Services, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 1999 - 2004
Scientific Director, Transgenic & Gene Targeting Facility, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 1998 - 2011
Scientific Director, Transgenic & Gene Targeting Facility, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 1988 - 1998
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Organizer & Director, NCI Mouse Developmental Genetics Course, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 1991 - 1998
Attending Physician, Jacobi Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 1988 - 1997
Consultantships
Co-Founder, Advisor and Director, Tvardi Therapeutics, Houston, TX, 2018 - Present
Scientific Advisory Board, Sidney Kimmel Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, 2009 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2017 | Ellis Island Medal of Honor, National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations |
| 2017 | Brien McMahon Award for Distinguished Public Service, Fordham University |
| 2017 | Member, Science Committee, Science and Faith Foundation – STOQ, Vatican |
| 2017 | Foreign Member, Royal Academy of Science, Portugal |
| 2017 | PCF Challenge Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation |
| 2016 | 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders, Modern Healthcare |
| 2015 | Fellow, American Association for Cancer Research |
| 2015 | 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare, Modern Healthcare |
| 2015 | Order of Saint James of the Sword (knighthood), Republic of Portugal |
| 2014 | Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| 2012 | Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine, American Italian Cancer Foundation |
| 2012 | Member, National Academy of Sciences |
| 2011 | Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences |
| 2010 | Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| 2009 | Albert Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research |
| 2007 | Harvey Society Lecture |
| 2007 | Biomedicum Helsinki Medal and Lecture |
| 2004 | Albert Einstein College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award |
| 2004 | American Cancer Society Edith A. Pistorino Research Professorship |
| 2004 | Member, Institute of Medicine (now Health and Medicine Division) of the National Academies |
| 2003 | AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award |
| 2003 | The Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award |
| 2002 | American Society for Clinical Investigation Award (now Korsmeyer Award) |
| 2000 | Kirsch Senior Investigator Award |
| 1998 | American Cancer Society Research Professorship |
| 1995 | Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist Award |
| 1993 | Melini Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research |
| 1992 | Feinberg Senior Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Gulhati P, Schalck A, Jiang S, Shang X, Wu CJ, Hou P, Ruiz SH, Soto LS, Parra E, Ying H, Han J, Dey P, Li J, Deng P, Sei E, Maeda DY, Zebala JA, Spring DJ, Kim M, Wang H, Maitra A, Moore D, Clise-Dwyer K, Wang YA, Navin NE, DePinho RA. Targeting T cell checkpoints 41BB and LAG3 and myeloid cell CXCR1/CXCR2 results in antitumor immunity and durable response in pancreatic cancer. Nat Cancer. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36585453.
- Zhang J, Chen SR, Zhou MH, Jin D, Chen H, Wang L, DePinho RA, Pan HL. HDAC2 in primary sensory neurons constitutively restrains chronic pain by repressing α2δ-1 expression and associated NMDA receptor activity. J Neurosci. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36257688.
- Davidson SM, Schmidt DR, Heyman JE, O'Brien JP, Liu AC, Israelsen WJ, Dayton TL, Sehgal R, Bronson RT, Freinkman E, Mak HH, Fanelli GN, Malstrom S, Bellinger G, Carracedo A, Pandolfi PP, Courtney KD, Jha A, DePinho RA, Horner JW, Thomas CJ, Cantley LC, Loda M, Vander Heiden MG. Pyruvate kinase M1 suppresses development and progression of prostate adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res 82(13):2403-2416, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35584006.
- Hsieh RC, Krishnan S, Wu RC, Boda AR, Liu A, Winkler M, Hsu WH, Lin SH, Hung MC, Chan LC, Bhanu KR, Srinivasamani A, De Azevedo RA, Chou YC, DePinho RA, Gubin M, Vilar E, Chen CH, Slay R, Jayaprakash P, Hegde SM, Hartley G, Lea ST, Prasad R, Morrow B, Couillault CA, Steiner M, Wang CC, Venkatesulu BP, Taniguchi C, Kim YSB, Chen J, Rudqvist NP, Curran MA. ATR-mediated CD47 and PD-L1 up-regulation restricts radiotherapy-induced immune priming and abscopal responses in colorectal cancer. Sci Immunol 7(72):eabl9330, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35687697.
- Lee R, Li J, Li J, Wu CJ, Jiang S, Hsu WH, Chakravarti D, Chen P, LaBella KA, Li J, Spring DJ, Zhao D, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Synthetic Essentiality of Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase 2 in APC-Mutated Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Discov. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35537038.
- Alam A, Levanduski E, Denz P, Villavicencio HS, Bhatta M, Alhorebi L, Zhang Y, Gomez EC, Morreale B, Senchanthisai S, Li J, Turowski SG, Sexton S, Sait SJ, Singh PK, Wang J, Maitra A, Kalinski P, DePinho RA, Wang H, Liao W, Abrams SI, Segal BH, Dey P. Fungal mycobiome drives IL-33 secretion and type 2 immunity in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell 40(2):153-167.e11, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35120601.
- Shim HS, Horner JW, Wu CJ, Li J, Lan ZD, Jiang S, Xu X, Hsu WH, Zal T, Flores II, Deng P, Lin YT, Tsai LH, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Preserves Neuron Survival and Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease Models. Nat Aging 1(12):1162-1174, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 35036927.
- Han J, DePinho RA, Maitra A. Single-cell RNA sequencing in pancreatic cancer. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 18(7):451-452, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34040169.
- Chakravarti D, Lee R, Multani AS, Santoni A, Keith Z, Hsu WH, Chang K, Reyes L, Rashid A, Wu CJ, Li J, Zhang J, Shim HS, Chandra K, Deng P, Spring DJ, Nielsen OH, Riis LB, Mayigegowda KK, Blutt SE, Zhang J, Younes M, DuPont A, Thirumurthi S, Vilar E, Estes MK, Colla S, Shroyer NF, DePinho RA. Telomere dysfunction instigates inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 118(29), 2021. PMID: 34253611.
- Li J, Ma X, Chakravarti D, Shalapour S, DePinho RA. Genetic and biological hallmarks of colorectal cancer. Genes Dev 35(11-12):787-820, 2021. PMID: 34074695.
- Chakravarti D, LaBella KA, DePinho RA. Telomeres: history, health, and hallmarks of aging. Cell 184(2):306-322, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33450206.
- Dey P, Kimmelman AC, DePinho RA. Metabolic Codependencies in the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancer Discov. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33504580.
- Zhao D, Cai L, Lu X, Liang X, Li J, Chen P, Ittmann M, Shang X, Jiang S, Li H, Meng C, Flores I, Song JH, Horner JW, Lan Z, Wu CJ, Li J, Chang Q, Chen KC, Wang G, Deng P, Spring DJ, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Chromatin Regulator CHD1 Remodels the Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in PTEN-Deficient Prostate Cancer. Cancer Discov 10(9):1374-1387, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32385075.
- Hou P, Kapoor A, Zhang Q, Li J, Wu CJ, Li J, Lan Z, Tang M, Ma X, Ackroyd JJ, Kalluri R, Zhang J, Jiang S, Spring DJ, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling Enables Bypass of Oncogenic KRAS Dependency in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Discov 10(7):1058-1077, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32341020.
- Dey P, Li J, Zhang J, Chaurasiya S, Strom A, Wang H, Liao WT, Cavallaro F, Denz P, Bernard V, Yen EY, Genovese G, Gulhati P, Liu J, Chakravarti D, Deng P, Zhang T, Carbone F, Chang Q, Ying H, Shang X, Spring DJ, Ghosh B, Putluri N, Maitra A, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Oncogenic Kras driven metabolic reprogramming in pancreas cancer cells utilizes cytokines from the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Discov 10(4):608-625, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32046984.
- Chen P, Hsu WH, Chang A, Tan Z, Lan Z, Zhou A, Spring DJ, Lang FF, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Circadian regulator CLOCK recruits immune suppressive microglia into the GBM tumor microenvironment. Cancer Discov 10(3):371-381, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31919052.
- Hou P, Ma X, Zhang Q, Wu CJ, Liao W, Li J, Wang H, Zhao J, Zhou X, Guan C, Ackroyd J, Jiang S, Zhang J, Spring DJ, Wang YA, DePinho RA. USP21 deubiquitinase promotes pancreas cancer cell stemness via Wnt pathway activation. Genes Dev 33(19-20):1361-1366, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31488580.
- Liao W, Overman MJ, Boutin AT, Shang X, Zhao D, Dey P, Li J, Wang G, Lan Z, Li J, Tang M, Jiang S, Ma X, Chen P, Katkhuda R, Korphaisarn K, Chakravarti D, Chang A, Spring DJ, Chang Q, Zhang J, Maru DM, Maeda DY, Zebala JA, Kopetz S, Wang YA, DePinho RA. KRAS-IRF2 Axis Drives Immune Suppression and Immune Therapy Resistance in Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Cell 35(4):559-572.e7, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30905761.
- Zhao D, Lu X, Wang G, Lan Z, Liao W, Li J, Liang X, Chen JR, Shah S, Shang X, Tang M, Deng P, Dey P, Chakravarti D, Chen P, Spring DJ, Navone NM, Troncoso P, Zhang J, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Synthetic essentiality of chromatin remodelling factor CHD1 in PTEN-deficient cancer. Nature 542(7642):484-488, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28166537.
- Dey P, Baddour J, Muller F, Wu CC, Wang H, Liao WT, Lan Z, Chen A, Gutschner T, Kang Y, Fleming J, Satani N, Zhao D, Achreja A, Yang L, Lee J, Chang E, Genovese G, Viale A, Ying H, Draetta G, Maitra A, Wang YA, Nagrath D, DePinho RA. Genomic deletion of malic enzyme 2 confers collateral lethality in pancreatic cancer. Nature 542(7639):119-123, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28099419.
- Boutin AT, Liao WT, Wang M, Hwang SS, Karpinets TV, Cheung H, Chu GC, Jiang S, Hu J, Chang K, Vilar E, Song X, Zhang J, Kopetz S, Futreal A, Wang YA, Kwong LN, DePinho RA. Oncogenic Kras drives invasion and maintains metastases in colorectal cancer. Genes Dev 31(4):370-382, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28289141.
- Hu B, Wang Q, Wang YA, Hua S, Sauvé CG, Ong D, Lan ZD, Chang Q, Ho YW, Monasterio MM, Lu X, Zhong Y, Zhang J, Deng P, Tan Z, Wang G, Liao WT, Corley LJ, Yan H, Zhang J, You Y, Liu N, Cai L, Finocchiaro G, Phillips JJ, Berger MS, Spring DJ, Hu J, Sulman EP, Fuller GN, Chin L, Verhaak RGW, DePinho RA. Epigenetic Activation of WNT5A Drives Glioblastoma Stem Cell Differentiation and Invasive Growth. Cell 167(5):1281-1295.e18, 2016. PMID: 27863244.
- Muller FL, Aquilanti EA, DePinho RA. Collateral Lethality: A new therapeutic strategy in oncology. Trends Cancer 1(3):161-173, 2015. PMID: 26870836.
- Colla S, Ong DS, Ogoti Y, Marchesini M, Mistry NA, Clise-Dwyer K, Ang SA, Storti P, Viale A, Giuliani N, Ruisaard K, Ganan Gomez I, Bristow CA, Estecio M, Weksberg DC, Ho YW, Hu B, Genovese G, Pettazzoni P, Multani AS, Jiang S, Hua S, Ryan MC, Carugo A, Nezi L, Wei Y, Yang H, D'Anca M, Zhang L, Gaddis S, Gong T, Horner JW, Heffernan TP, Jones P, Cooper LJ, Liang H, Kantarjian H, Wang YA, Chin L, Bueso-Ramos C, Garcia-Manero G, DePinho RA. Telomere dysfunction drives aberrant hematopoietic differentiation and myelodysplastic syndrome. Cancer Cell 27(5):644-57, 2015. PMID: 25965571.
- Muller FL, Colla S, Aquilanti E, Manzo VE, Genovese G, Lee J, Eisenson D, Narurkar R, Deng P, Nezi L, Lee MA, Hu B, Hu J, Sahin E, Ong D, Fletcher-Sananikone E, Ho D, Kwong L, Brennan C, Wang YA, Chin L, DePinho RA. Passenger deletions generate therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer. Nature 488(7411):337-42, 2012. PMID: 22895339.
- Ying H, Kimmelman AC, Lyssiotis CA, Hua S, Chu GC, Fletcher-Sananikone E, Locasale JW, Son J, Zhang H, Coloff JL, Yan H, Wang W, Chen S, Viale A, Zheng H, Paik JH, Lim C, Guimaraes AR, Martin ES, Chang J, Hezel AF, Perry SR, Hu J, Gan B, Xiao Y, Asara JM, Weissleder R, Wang YA, Chin L, Cantley LC, DePinho RA. Oncogenic Kras maintains pancreatic tumors through regulation of anabolic glucose metabolism. Cell 149(3):656-70, 2012. PMID: 22541435.
- Hu J, Hwang SS, Liesa M, Gan B, Sahin E, Jaskelioff M, Ding Z, Ying H, Boutin AT, Zhang H, Johnson S, Ivanova E, Kost-Alimova M, Protopopov A, Wang YA, Shirihai OS, Chin L, DePinho RA. Antitelomerase Therapy Provokes ALT and Mitochondrial Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer. Cell 148(4):651-63, 2012. PMID: 22341440.
- Gan B, Lim C, Chu G, Hua S, Ding Z, Collins M, Hu J, Jiang S, Fletcher-Sananikone E, Zhuang L, Chang M, Zheng H, Wang YA, Kwiatkowski DJ, Kaelin WG, Signoretti S, DePinho RA. FoxOs enforce a progression checkpoint to constrain mTORC1-activated renal tumorigenesis. Cancer Cell 18(5):472-84, 2010. PMID: 21075312.