Benjamin D Hopkins, PhD

Benjamin D. Hopkins, PhD, Assistant Professor of Genomics and Genetic Sciences, and Oncological Sciences, is the co-leader of the Functional Genomics Pipeline at The Tisch Cancer Institute. Dr. Hopkins and his team work to design and run precision medicine workflows, in order to facilitate translational cancer research at Mount Sinai. The Functional Genomics Pipeline focuses on two primary screening modalities. First, using an automated high-throughput screening platform developed by Dr. Hopkins for the Functional Genomics Pipeline, the group works to identify tumor specific drug sensitivities.  Second, for new compounds or targets the group runs “inverse” screens to identify patient populations which are most likely to respond to a given therapy.  Both of these screening modalities are run on three-dimensional organoid models developed in the laboratory from patients at Mount Sinai Hospital. 

Dr. Hopkins studies cellular signaling with an emphasis on how systemic metabolism regulates key oncogenic pathways, such as the PI3K/PTEN signaling cascade. The overarching goal of the Hopkins Laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms that lead to drug sensitivities so that they can be leveraged in the clinic to improve patient outcomes.  His group focuses on Breast, Lung, and Pancreatic cancer.  The laboratory is comprised of a mix of computational and cell biologists.

Dr. Hopkins is on Twitter at @LabHopkins