Benjamin G. Neel, MD, PhD

As a member of Perlmutter Cancer Center, I am part of a rigorous academic community of clinician–scientists and basic scientists, as well as a team of compassionate physicians who are dedicated to our patients. Through our clinical trials, we give patients unprecedented access to novel therapies and experimental treatments. I also oversee the advancement of our translational programs in immunotherapy, cancer genetics, targeted therapies, and epigenetics, as well as imaging, community outreach, and supportive oncology.

One of my goals is to foster collaboration between physicians and researchers. I create new opportunities for them to meaningfully engage with one another and form multidisciplinary partnerships. We have the best chance at dramatically impacting patient survival when we work together to understand the essence of cancer and its vulnerabilities, as well as the progress that has been made in cancer biology.

We’re at a historic time in the field — we finally understand a range of factors that cause cancer, from one’s environment to molecular defects in cancer cells. When I was a graduate student, we didn’t know a single gene mutation that causes cancer, nor did we understand cancer’s molecular basis. Now we know that different cancers are caused by different agents, and we have identified between 500 and 1,000 gene mutations that, in various combinations, can lead to cancer. With this knowledge, we have created a bevy of treatments that we can use against the disease, such as epigenetic therapy and immunotherapy.

My own research focuses on cell signaling in cancer and developmental disease, as well as the biology of breast and ovarian cancer. In addition to authoring more than 200 original papers, 25 reviews, and 2 books, I have received multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute, as well as private foundations. I was the inaugural recipient of the Gertrude Elion Award of the American Association for Cancer Research, have held multiple named lectureships, and serve on editorial board of several journals, including Cancer Cell, Molecular Cell, and Cancer Discovery, among others. I am an elected member of the Association of American Physicians, a former member of the board of directors of the American Association for Cancer Research, and co-founder of Northern Biologics, a biotechnology company developing new therapies for cancer and fibrosis.