Cancer Biology & Genetics Program

The Robert Benezra Lab

Research

Robert Benezra, PhD

Deputy Director for Core Technologies; Laura and Christopher Pucillo Chair in Metastasis Research

My research program focuses on two areas of cell biology: the molecular mechanisms of mammalian cell differentiation and mitotic checkpoint control. Though seemingly unrelated, both areas as described below continue to provide fertile ground for the analysis of molecular mechanisms and have direct application to cancer biology. In the most general terms, we are exploring the role of the Id proteins in controlling the growth and differentiation of tumor cells and the vasculature that supports their growth and metastatic progression. In addition, we are examining the role of the mitotic checkpoint gene Mad2 in maintaining genome stability by ensuring proper chromosome segregation during mitosis.

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Featured News

Decoder

What Is Angiogenesis?

Thursday, March 13, 2014

DNA Pioneer Takes Aim at "Cancer Establishments"

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Research Suggests Potential Immune Therapy for Preventing Breast Cancer Metastasis

Thursday, December 1, 2011

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Publications

Benezra, R., Davis, R.L., Lockshon, D., Turner, D.L. & Weintraub, H. (1990). The protein Id: a negative regulator of helix-loop-helix DNA binding proteins. Cell 61(1):49-59.

Jen, Y., Weintraub, H. & Benezra, R. (1992). Overexpression of Id protein inhibits the muscle differentiation program: in vivo association of Id with E2A proteins. Genes Dev 6(8):1466-79.

Pesce, S. & Benezra, R. (1993). The loop region of the helix-loop-helix protein Id1 is critical for its dominant negative activity. Mol Cell Biol 13(12):7874-80.

Tournay, O. & Benezra, R. (1996). Transcription of the dominant-negative helix-loop-helix protein Id1 is regulated by a protein complex containing the immediate-early response gene Egr-1. Mol Cell Biol 16(5):2418-30.

Li ,Y. & Benezra, R. (1996). Identification of a human mitotic checkpoint gene: hsMAD2. Science 274(5285):246-8.

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People

Robert Benezra, PhD

Deputy Director for Core Technologies; Laura and Christopher Pucillo Chair in Metastasis Research

Cancer biologist Robert Benezra studies the molecular mechanisms of tumor growth and metastatic progression using mouse models. In addition, he studies the spindle assembly checkpoint which ensures proper chromosome segregation and is often deregulated in cancer.
PhD, Columbia University

r-benezra@ski.mskcc.org: Email Address
646-888-2812: Office Phone

Members

Robert Benezra, PhD — Robert Benezra
Lab Head; Laura and Christopher Pucillo Chair in Metastasis Research

Yvette Chin

Research Assistant

Paulina Wojnarowicz, PhD — Paulina Wojnarowicz
Research Fellow

Lab Alumni

Lindy Barrett

Research Fellow

Pascal Duijf, PhD — Pascal Duijf
Research Fellow

Ingrid Levy
Assistant to Dr. Robert Benezra

Daniel H. Marks
Senior Associate at RA Capital, Boston, MA

Miriam Moctezuma

Graduate Student

Zvika Granot, PhD — Zvika Granot
Research Fellow

Juan Manuel Schvartzman, MD — Juan Manuel Schvartzman
Graduate Student

Lab Affiliations

Get in Touch

r-benezra@ski.mskcc.org

Lab Head Email
646-888-2812

Office Phone
646-888-2813/2814

Lab Phone
646-422-0871

Lab Fax

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Robert Benezra discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

Angiogenex
Fiduciary Role/Position; Intellectual Property Rights; Ownership / Equity Interests; Provision of Services (uncompensated)

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Provision of Services

The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2019 through disclosure submission in spring 2020). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at ecoi@mskcc.org.

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