Richard White, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Oxford. His laboratory is interested in the intersection between developmental biology and cancer biology. There are many parallels in these processes, including both cell-intrinsic fate decisions as well as influence of the microenvironment and cell-cell interactions. To address these questions, we primarily utilize the zebrafish as a model, given its strengths in genetic manipulation and imaging.

Major discoveries from his lab include the role of neural crest gene programs in melanoma initiation, how anatomic position of the cell influences response to oncogenes, and how cells such as adipocytes in the TME influence tumor progression. He has been awarded the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, as well as awards from the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Pershing Square Foundation Award, the American Cancer Society, and the Mark Foundation ASPIRE award.