Richard Pestell - Biography#
Richard Pestell, AO., MBBS, MD, PhD, MBA, FRACP, FACP, FRCP (Ireland), FRCP (London), a clinician scientist who immigrated to the United States in 1993, currently serves as the President of the Pennsylvania Cancer and Regenerative Medicine Center, Blumberg Distinguished Professor, and Member Wistar Institute Cancer Center (Associate), in Philadelphia, USA. He was most recently Executive Vice President Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA (30,000 employees).
He led cancer not–for-profits and directed two USA NCI (National Cancer Center) designated Cancer Centers (Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University). (2002-2016).
He founded Departments, Institutes and six biotechnology companies (LightSeed, Shenandoah, ioROC, StromaGenesis, ProstaGene, EcoGenome). He is past President of INCTR (USA), a global not-for-profit working to impact cancer in the developing world and was founding Director of the Delaware Valley Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (University of Delaware, Thomas Jefferson University, Nemours and Christiana).
He was the Winthrop Fellow at Harvard Medical School and was Clinical Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Pestell completed his M.B., BS at the University of Western Australia, and conducted clinical training in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Endocrinology. He received M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Melbourne University, and his MBA from NYU, Stern School of Business.
He has been the Principal Investigator of > USD $86MM in grants, primarily from the NIH.
He has published over 700 works with >96,500 citations and an H index of 157. His World rankings Cited by Google Scholar, #1 Cell-cycle, and ranked for Prostate Cancer (#5), Oncology, and Breast Cancer. He holds multiple issued patents in cancer diagnostics and treatment. Of the 484 publications (1996-2023), 161 have been cited in 677 patents (SciVal). He has authored one book, 52 book chapters, and has delivered more than 285 invited lectures.
Dr. Pestell identified key genetic targets for cancer, including cyclins and CCR5. His preclinical studies of cyclin D1 in breast cancer were cited as the basis for the clinical trials of CDK inhibitors, now approved by the FDA for the treatment of cancer. His preclinical studies of CCR5 inhibitors are cited as the basis for the current clinical trials of CCR5 inhibitors for cancer.
He has received awards for his research, clinical care, and impact on improving healthcare access, including the RD Wright Medallion, The Eric Susman Prize in Medicine, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Honoris Causa, University of Melbourne, Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Western Australia and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honors for “distinguished service to medicine, and to medical education, as a researcher and physician in the fields of endocrinology and oncology”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pestell
He previously and or currently served as a member of the Editorial Board of 14 journals and as a Reviewer of >18 funding agencies in >9 countries.
