Richard Pestell, AO., MBBS, MD, PhD, MBA, FRACP, FACP, FRCP (Ireland), FRCP (London), MAE., is a clinician scientist who currently serves as the President of the Pennsylvania Cancer and Regenerative Medicine Center and Member of Wistar Institute Cancer Center (Associate) in Philadelphia, USA. He was previously Executive Vice President of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA .

He led cancer not-for-profits, directed two USA Cancer Centers (Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, 2002-2015). He founded departments, institutes and five companies. While Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and head of the Jefferson Oncology Service line, the Oncology US News Rankings improved from #64 to #17. He is the past President of INCTR (USA), a global not-for-profit working to impact cancer in the developing world, and was the founding Director of the Delaware Valley Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (University of Delaware, Thomas Jefferson University, Nemours, and Christiana).

1. 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 treatment of cancer. His laboratory helped define the complex functions of the cyclin D1 oncogene, an important regulator of human cancer, identifying the requirement for cyclin D1 in breast cancer growth in animals, cited in clinical trials that led to FDA approval of CDK inhibitors. His laboratory identified key domains mediating non-canonical functions of cyclin D1, including transcription factor activity. He demonstrated the role of cyclin D1 in the regulation of glycolysis and mitochondrial biogenesis, potentially explaining the observation of altered sugar metabolism in cancers, which is now beginning to be exploited for cancer therapy. The Pestell laboratory also demonstrated cyclin D1 governs microRNA expression (immunoMirs) and processing via Dicer, cellular migration, and DNA damage repair.  

2. His group was the first to show nuclear hormone receptors undergo post-translational modification by acetylation. This process is conserved between evolutionarily related receptors, including orphan nuclear receptors, to govern diverse functions, including contact-independent growth and hormonal responses.

3.  His group was the first to show the G-protein coupled receptor CCR5 governs tumor growth and metastasis, and led clinical studies determining the role of CCR5 inhibitor therapy in the treatment of cancers. His preclinical studies of CCR5 inhibitors are cited as the basis for the current clinical trials of CCR5 inhibitors for cancer (NCT03838367).

He is an elected member of the European (MAE) and Hungarian Academies of Science.  He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2019 by Queen Elizabeth II for “distinguished service to medicine, and to medical education, as a researcher and physician in the fields of endocrinology and oncology”. He has received awards for his research, clinical care and impact on improving health care access including 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pestell