Cancer Biology & Genetics Program
The Robert Benezra Lab
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.
Featured News
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.
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

- 646-888-2813/2814
- Lab Phone


Lab Head; Laura and Christopher Pucillo Chair in Metastasis Research
Research Assistant

Research Assistant

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Research Fellow


- Yale University
- 646-888-2814
- Lab Phone


Lab Alumni

Graduate Student
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Research Technician

Research Fellow


Assistant to Dr. Robert Benezra

Senior Associate at RA Capital, Boston, MA
Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Graduate Student

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Graduate Student
Get in Touch
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Lab Head Email
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Office Phone
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Lab Phone
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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:
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Angiogenex
Fiduciary Role/Position; Intellectual Property Rights; Ownership / Equity Interests; Provision of Services (uncompensated)
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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.
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