Ronald DePinho

{{Short description|American physician and research scientist}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Ronald A. DePinho | image = DePinho.jpeg | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1955}} | birth_place = | death_date = <!--{{death date and age |YYYY|MM|DD |YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date)--> | death_place = | citizenship = U.S | fields = | workplaces = {{plainlist| * MD Anderson Cancer Center * Dana–Farber Cancer Institute * Harvard Medical School * Albert Einstein College of Medicine }} | alma_mater = {{plainlist| * Fordham University * Albert Einstein College of Medicine }} | known_for = Genetic and biological mechanisms governing the development of cancer and driving the aging process and age-associated degenerative diseases. | awards = | spouse = Lynda Chin | children = 3 }}

'''Ronald A. DePinho''' (born 1955) is an American physician and research scientist. He served as president of MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2011 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mdanderson.org/about-md-anderson/facts-history/past-presidents.html|title = MD Anderson's Past Presidents |website=MD Anderson Cancer Center}}</ref> DePinho states that his concern for reducing the burden of cancer suffering became his life goal in 1998, when his father died of colon cancer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rondepinho.com/mission/|title = Physician Scientist Devoted to Reduce Cancer Suffering|website=Ron DePinho}}</ref>

==Early life and education== DePinho was born in the Bronx, New York City in 1955 to Celeste and Alvaro DePinho. He is the third of five children. He earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences in 1977 from Fordham University. He received his medical degree with distinction in microbiology and immunology in 1981 from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Cell Biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-07 |title=Ronald A. DePinho, M.D. |url=https://www.nfcr.org/scientists/ronald-depinho/ |website=National Foundation for Cancer Research}}</ref>

== Career == DePinho spent 14 years at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. He served as founding director of the Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science and was an American Cancer Society Research Professor in the Department of Medicine (Genetics) at Harvard Medical School. Previously, he held several faculty positions during 10 years at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where he was the Betty and Sheldon Feinberg Senior Scholar in Cancer Research.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

DePinho is Professor and former president in the Department of Cancer Biology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and holds the Harry Graves Burkhart III Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Biology.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://faculty.mdanderson.org/profiles/ronald_depinho.html|title = Ronald A. DePinho|website=MD Anderson Cancer Center}}</ref> He assumed the presidency at MD Anderson on September 1, 2011. There, he founded the Institute for Applied Cancer Science to accelerate development of next-generation targeted immune- and cell-based cancer therapies. He launched MD Anderson's Cancer Moon Shots Program, which became a model for the White House Cancer Moonshot funded by President Barack Obama under the leadership of then-Vice President Joe Biden<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lowy |first1=D |last2=Singer |first2=D |last3=DePinho |first3=R |last4=Simon |first4=GC |last5=Soon-Shiong |first5=P |title=Cancer moonshot countdown |journal=Nature Biotechnology |date=9 June 2016 |volume=34 |issue=6 |pages=596–99 |doi=10.1038/nbt.3616 |pmid=27281415 |pmc=6629023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/cancermoonshot|title=The Vice President's Cancer Moonshot}}</ref> and administered by National Cancer Institute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative|title = Cancer Moonshot - National Cancer Institute |date = February 2016}}</ref>

DePinho publicly announced his resignation as MD Anderson president on March 8, 2017, after scrutiny over the administration of the organization had put him in the spotlight. "DePinho's five-and-a-half years at the helm of the world's largest cancer center were marked by unprecedented turbulence, questions of conflicts of interest, and unhappiness on the part of the faculty."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cancerletter.com/the-cancer-letter/20170309_1/|title=DePinho resigns as MD Anderson president, acknowledges shortcomings as administrator |website=Cancer Letter|date=9 March 2017}}</ref> &nbsp;

==Research== DePinho is best known for his work on telomerase and telomere dysfunction as it relates to cancer and aging. Specifically, in collaboration with Carol Greider, he generated the first telomerase knockout mouse.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=HW |last2=Blasco |first2=MA |last3=Gottlieb |first3=GJ |last4=Horner |first4=JW |last5=Greider |first5=CW |last6=DePinho |first6=RA |title=Essential role of mouse telomerase in highly proliferative organs |journal=Nature |date=April 1998 |volume=392 |issue=6676 |pages=569–74 |doi=10.1038/33345 |pmid=9560153 |bibcode=1998Natur.392..569L |s2cid=4385788}}</ref> This work led to a deeper understanding of telomerase and telomere dysfunction in cancer, aging and a range of degenerative diseases, including fibrosis.

DePinho's scientific program has made basic discoveries underlying cancer in the aged and factors governing acquired and inherited degenerative disorders. His laboratory established the concept of tumor maintenance, discovered a core pathway of aging and demonstrated that aging is a reversible process.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/11/partial-reversal-of-aging-achieved-in-mice|title=Partial reversal of aging achieved in mice|date=28 November 2010|access-date=Sep 1, 2011|work=Harvard Gazette}}</ref> He has constructed and used refined mouse models of cancer to identify many new cancer targets and diagnostics.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

He has published over 400 peer-reviewed research articles, review articles and book chapters (h-index 171).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=x_BvwLUAAAAJ&hl=en|title=Ronald A. DePinho |website=Google Scholar}}</ref> He was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in 2008,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nam.edu/member/?member_id=OR8GI%2BhzVYvlVJ8rJFnQAg%3D%3D |title=Ronald A. DePinho|website=National Academy of Medicine}}</ref> the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amacad.org/person/ronald-anthony-depinho|title = Ronald Anthony DePinho |website=The American Academy of Arts & Sciences|date = 27 March 2025 }}</ref> the National Academy of Sciences in 2012,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/20008950.html|title=Ronald A. DePinho|website=National Academy of Sciences}}</ref> and named an American Association for Cancer Research fellow in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aacr.org/professionals/membership/aacr-academy/fellows/ronald-a-depinho-md|title = Ronald A. DePinho, MD {{pipe}} AACR {{pipe}} Fellows of the AACR}}</ref>

==Honors== *80px Commander of the Order of Saint James of the Sword, Portugal (9 June 2015)<ref name="OrdHonPor">{{cite web|title=Cidadãos Estrangeiros Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas|url=http://www.ordens.presidencia.pt/?idc=154|website=Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref> *Ellis Island Medal of Honor, National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (2017){{citation needed|date=August 2021}} *Honorary PhD Degree, Hofstra University (2017){{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

== Selected publications == * {{cite journal |last1=Hu |first1=Baoli |last2=Wang |first2=Qianghu |last3=Wang |first3=Y. Alan |last4=Hua |first4=Sujun |last5=Sauvé |first5=Charles-Etienne Gabriel |last6=Ong |first6=Derrick |last7=Lan |first7=Zheng D. |last8=Chang |first8=Qing |last9=Ho |first9=Yan Wing |last10=Monasterio |first10=Marta Moreno |last11=Lu |first11=Xin |last12=Zhong |first12=Yi |last13=Zhang |first13=Jianhua |last14=Deng |first14=Pingna |last15=Tan |first15=Zhi |last16=Wang |first16=Guocan |last17=Liao |first17=Wen-Ting |last18=Corley |first18=Lynda J. |last19=Yan |first19=Haiyan |last20=Zhang |first20=Junxia |last21=You |first21=Yongping |last22=Liu |first22=Ning |last23=Cai |first23=Linbo |last24=Finocchiaro |first24=Gaetano |last25=Phillips |first25=Joanna J. |last26=Berger |first26=Mitchel S. |last27=Spring |first27=Denise J. |last28=Hu |first28=Jian |last29=Sulman |first29=Erik P. |last30=Fuller |first30=Gregory N. |last31=Chin |first31=Lynda |last32=Verhaak |first32=Roeland G.W. |last33=DePinho |first33=Ronald A.|display-authors=2 |title=Epigenetic Activation of WNT5A Drives Glioblastoma Stem Cell Differentiation and Invasive Growth |journal=Cell |date=November 2016 |volume=167 |issue=5 |pages=1281–1295.e18 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2016.10.039 |pmid=27863244 |pmc=5320931 |doi-access=free }} * {{cite journal |last1=Viale |first1=Andrea |last2=Pettazzoni |first2=Piergiorgio |last3=Lyssiotis |first3=Costas A. |last4=Ying |first4=Haoqiang |last5=Sánchez |first5=Nora |last6=Marchesini |first6=Matteo |last7=Carugo |first7=Alessandro |last8=Green |first8=Tessa |last9=Seth |first9=Sahil |last10=Giuliani |first10=Virginia |last11=Kost-Alimova |first11=Maria |last12=Muller |first12=Florian |last13=Colla |first13=Simona |last14=Nezi |first14=Luigi |last15=Genovese |first15=Giannicola |last16=Deem |first16=Angela K. |last17=Kapoor |first17=Avnish |last18=Yao |first18=Wantong |last19=Brunetto |first19=Emanuela |last20=Kang |first20=Ya'an |last21=Yuan |first21=Min |last22=Asara |first22=John M. |last23=Wang |first23=Y. Alan |last24=Heffernan |first24=Timothy P. |last25=Kimmelman |first25=Alec C. |last26=Wang |first26=Huamin |last27=Fleming |first27=Jason B. |last28=Cantley |first28=Lewis C. |last29=DePinho |first29=Ronald A. |last30=Draetta |first30=Giulio F. |title=Oncogene ablation-resistant pancreatic cancer cells depend on mitochondrial function |journal=Nature |date=30 October 2014 |volume=514 |issue=7524 |pages=628–632 |doi=10.1038/nature13611 |pmid=25119024 |pmc=4376130 |bibcode=2014Natur.514..628V }} * {{cite journal |last1=Son |first1=Jaekyoung |last2=Lyssiotis |first2=Costas A. |last3=Ying |first3=Haoqiang |last4=Wang |first4=Xiaoxu |last5=Hua |first5=Sujun |last6=Ligorio |first6=Matteo |last7=Perera |first7=Rushika M. |last8=Ferrone |first8=Cristina R. |last9=Mullarky |first9=Edouard |last10=Shyh-Chang |first10=Ng |last11=Kang |first11=Ya'an |last12=Fleming |first12=Jason B. |last13=Bardeesy |first13=Nabeel |last14=Asara |first14=John M. |last15=Haigis |first15=Marcia C. |last16=DePinho |first16=Ronald A. |last17=Cantley |first17=Lewis C. |last18=Kimmelman |first18=Alec C. |title=Glutamine supports pancreatic cancer growth through a KRAS-regulated metabolic pathway |journal=Nature |date=4 April 2013 |volume=496 |issue=7443 |pages=101–105 |doi=10.1038/nature12040 |pmid=23535601 |pmc=3656466 |bibcode=2013Natur.496..101S }} * {{cite journal |last1=Ying |first1=Haoqiang |last2=Kimmelman |first2=Alec C. |last3=Lyssiotis |first3=Costas A. |last4=Hua |first4=Sujun |last5=Chu |first5=Gerald C. |last6=Fletcher-Sananikone |first6=Eliot |last7=Locasale |first7=Jason W. |last8=Son |first8=Jaekyoung |last9=Zhang |first9=Hailei |last10=Coloff |first10=Jonathan L. |last11=Yan |first11=Haiyan |last12=Wang |first12=Wei |last13=Chen |first13=Shujuan |last14=Viale |first14=Andrea |last15=Zheng |first15=Hongwu |last16=Paik |first16=Ji-hye |last17=Lim |first17=Carol |last18=Guimaraes |first18=Alexander R. |last19=Martin |first19=Eric S. |last20=Chang |first20=Jeffery |last21=Hezel |first21=Aram F. |last22=Perry |first22=Samuel R. |last23=Hu |first23=Jian |last24=Gan |first24=Boyi |last25=Xiao |first25=Yonghong |last26=Asara |first26=John M. |last27=Weissleder |first27=Ralph |last28=Wang |first28=Y. Alan |last29=Chin |first29=Lynda |last30=Cantley |first30=Lewis C. |last31=DePinho |first31=Ronald A.|display-authors=2 |title=Oncogenic Kras Maintains Pancreatic Tumors through Regulation of Anabolic Glucose Metabolism |journal=Cell |date=April 2012 |volume=149 |issue=3 |pages=656–670 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2012.01.058 |pmid=22541435 |pmc=3472002 }} * {{cite journal |last1=Paik |first1=Ji-hye |last2=Ding |first2=Zhihu |last3=Narurkar |first3=Rujuta |last4=Ramkissoon |first4=Shakti |last5=Muller |first5=Florian |last6=Kamoun |first6=Walid S. |last7=Chae |first7=Sung-Suk |last8=Zheng |first8=Hongwu |last9=Ying |first9=Haoqiang |last10=Mahoney |first10=Jed |last11=Hiller |first11=David |last12=Jiang |first12=Shan |last13=Protopopov |first13=Alexei |last14=Wong |first14=Wing H. |last15=Chin |first15=Lynda |last16=Ligon |first16=Keith L. |last17=DePinho |first17=Ronald A.|display-authors=2 |title=FoxOs Cooperatively Regulate Diverse Pathways Governing Neural Stem Cell Homeostasis |journal=Cell Stem Cell |date=November 2009 |volume=5 |issue=5 |pages=540–553 |doi=10.1016/j.stem.2009.09.013 |pmid=19896444 |pmc=3285492 }} * {{cite journal |last1=Zheng |first1=Hongwu |last2=Ying |first2=Haoqiang |last3=Yan |first3=Haiyan |last4=Kimmelman |first4=Alec C. |last5=Hiller |first5=David J. |last6=Chen |first6=An-Jou |last7=Perry |first7=Samuel R. |last8=Tonon |first8=Giovanni |last9=Chu |first9=Gerald C. |last10=Ding |first10=Zhihu |last11=Stommel |first11=Jayne M. |last12=Dunn |first12=Katherine L. |last13=Wiedemeyer |first13=Ruprecht |last14=You |first14=Mingjian J. |last15=Brennan |first15=Cameron |last16=Wang |first16=Y. Alan |last17=Ligon |first17=Keith L. |last18=Wong |first18=Wing H. |last19=Chin |first19=Lynda |last20=DePinho |first20=Ronald A. |display-authors=2 |title=p53 and Pten control neural and glioma stem/progenitor cell renewal and differentiation |journal=Nature |date=October 2008 |volume=455 |issue=7216 |pages=1129–1133 |doi=10.1038/nature07443 |pmid=18948956 |pmc=4051433 |bibcode=2008Natur.455.1129Z }} * {{cite journal |last1=Paik |first1=Ji-Hye |last2=Kollipara |first2=Ramya |last3=Chu |first3=Gerald |last4=Ji |first4=Hongkai |last5=Xiao |first5=Yonghong |last6=Ding |first6=Zhihu |last7=Miao |first7=Lili |last8=Tothova |first8=Zuzana |last9=Horner |first9=James W. |last10=Carrasco |first10=Daniel R. |last11=Jiang |first11=Shan |last12=Gilliland |first12=D. Gary |last13=Chin |first13=Lynda |last14=Wong |first14=Wing H. |last15=Castrillon |first15=Diego H. |last16=DePinho |first16=Ronald A.|display-authors=2 |title=FoxOs Are Lineage-Restricted Redundant Tumor Suppressors and Regulate Endothelial Cell Homeostasis |journal=Cell |date=January 2007 |volume=128 |issue=2 |pages=309–323 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2006.12.029 |pmid=17254969 |pmc=1855089 }} * {{cite journal |last1=Maser |first1=Richard S. |last2=Choudhury |first2=Bhudipa |last3=Campbell |first3=Peter J. |last4=Feng |first4=Bin |last5=Wong |first5=Kwok-Kin |last6=Protopopov |first6=Alexei |last7=O'Neil |first7=Jennifer |last8=Gutierrez |first8=Alejandro |last9=Ivanova |first9=Elena |last10=Perna |first10=Ilana |last11=Lin |first11=Eric |last12=Mani |first12=Vidya |last13=Jiang |first13=Shan |last14=McNamara |first14=Kate |last15=Zaghlul |first15=Sara |last16=Edkins |first16=Sarah |last17=Stevens |first17=Claire |last18=Brennan |first18=Cameron |last19=Martin |first19=Eric S. |last20=Wiedemeyer |first20=Ruprecht |last21=Kabbarah |first21=Omar |last22=Nogueira |first22=Cristina |last23=Histen |first23=Gavin |last24=Aster |first24=Jon |last25=Mansour |first25=Marc |last26=Duke |first26=Veronique |last27=Foroni |first27=Letizia |last28=Fielding |first28=Adele K. |last29=Goldstone |first29=Anthony H. |last30=Rowe |first30=Jacob M. |last31=Wang |first31=Yaoqi A. |last32=Look |first32=A. Thomas |last33=Stratton |first33=Michael R. |last34=Chin |first34=Lynda |last35=Futreal |first35=P. Andrew |last36=DePinho |first36=Ronald A.|display-authors=2 |title=Chromosomally unstable mouse tumours have genomic alterations similar to diverse human cancers |journal=Nature |date=June 2007 |volume=447 |issue=7147 |pages=966–971 |doi=10.1038/nature05886 |pmid=17515920 |pmc=2714968 |bibcode=2007Natur.447..966M }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://faculty.mdanderson.org/profiles/ronald_depinho.html MD Anderson faculty profile]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Depinho, Ronald A.}} Category:American oncologists Category:Fordham University alumni Category:Albert Einstein College of Medicine alumni Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Category:Fellows of the AACR Academy Category:1955 births Category:University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center faculty Category:Commanders of the Order of Saint James of the Sword Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine