Publications:165
Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD
About Me
Ramon E. Parsons, MD, PhD, is Director of the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center, a NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is also Dean for Cancer Research, the Ward-Coleman Chair in Cancer Research, and Chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
In 2017, Dr. Parsons was appointed Director of the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center, known then as The Tisch Cancer Institute, after serving as Deputy Director and Co-Leader of the Cancer Mechanisms program.
Prior to joining the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SInai in 2013, Dr. Parsons was on the faculty of the departments of Pathology and Medicine at Columbia University. He was named Assistant Professor in 1995 and later became the Avon Foundation Chair for Breast Cancer Research in 2002. He was named Professor in 2007 and Leader of its Breast Cancer Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2005.
Dr. Parsons is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the American College of Physicians. He served as Chair of the American Association for Cancer Research Special Conferences Committee from 2011-2017.
Dr. Parsons maintains an active laboratory and has received multiple awards for his research, including the 2011 American Association for Cancer Research Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research. He is internationally recognized as an expert in the fields of cancer genetics and signal transduction with an emphasis on tumor suppressor genes including PTEN.
Language
English
Position
DIRECTOR, MOUNT SINAI TISCH CANCER CENTER, PROFESSOR & CHAIR | Oncological Sciences, PROFESSOR | Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology
Research Topics
Cancer, Cancer Genetics, Chromatin, Epigenetics, Epithelial Cells, Gene Regulation, Oncogenes, Protein Kinases, Protein Phosphatases, Tumor Suppressor Genes, Tumorigenesis
Multi-Disciplinary Training Areas
Cancer Biology [CAB], Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics (DMT)
Video
Education
AB, Columbia University
MD, PhD, State University of New York at Stony Brook
Postdoctoral Training, Johns Hopkins University
Awards
2017
Elected, National Academy of Medicine
2015
Elected, Society of Scholars of the Johns Hopkins University
2011
AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research
Research
The Parsons laboratory seeks to investigate tumor suppressor and oncogene signaling pathways that are altered in human solid tumors using a multidisciplinary approach that includes genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and pathology. Thematic topics that are currently under investigation include dissection of the regulation and function of the PTEN tumor suppressor, determination of the impact of altered PTEN signals in cancer progression and altered energy metabolism, molecular pathogenesis of breast carcinoma initiation and progression, and examination of epigenetic and chromatin reprogramming as consequence of altered cancer signal pathways. Past accomplishments include discovery of PTEN, elucidation of the frequent alteration of the PI3K/PTEN pathway in a wide variety of cancers, generation of mouse models of cancer due to PTEN mutation, and identification of PREX2 as a regulator of PTEN function.
Visit the Parsons Laboratory
Visit the Parsons Laboratory
Publications
Selected Publications
- A tumor-selective mRNA system enables precision cancer treatment. Magdalena M. Żak, Jimeen Yoo, Alberto Utrero-Rico, Wencke Walter, Gayatri Mainkar, Matthew Adjmi, Ann Anu Kurian, Ashikur Rahaman, Daniel Lozano Ojalvo, Jordi Ochando, Torsten Haferlach, Ramon E. Parsons, Filip K. Swirski, Lior Zangi. Molecular Therapy
- Blood–brain-barrier-crossing lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery to the central nervous system. Chang Wang, Yonger Xue, Tamara Markovic, Haoyuan Li, Siyu Wang, Yichen Zhong, Shi Du, Yuebao Zhang, Xucheng Hou, Yang Yu, Zhengwei Liu, Meng Tian, Diana D. Kang, Leiming Wang, Kaiyuan Guo, Dinglingge Cao, Jingyue Yan, Binbin Deng, David W. McComb, Ramon E. Parsons, Angelica M. Minier-Toribio, Leanne M. Holt, Jiayi Pan, Alice Hashemi, Brian H. Kopell, Alexander W. Charney, Eric J. Nestler, Paul C. Peng, Yizhou Dong. Nature Materials
- Harnessing the TAF1 Acetyltransferase for Targeted Acetylation of the Tumor Suppressor p53. Md Kabir, Xiaoping Hu, Tiphaine C. Martin, Dmitry Pokushalov, Yong Joon Kim, Yiyang Chen, Yue Zhong, Qiong Wu, Jerry E. Chipuk, Yi Shi, Yan Xiong, Wei Gu, Ramon E. Parsons, Jian Jin. Advanced Science
Industry Relationships
Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.
Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Parsons during 2025 and/or 2026. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
Consulting or Other Professional Services Examples include, but are not limited to, committee participation, data safety monitoring board (DSMB) membership
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Case Western Reserve University
- Harvard University
Equity (Stock or stock options valued at greater than 5% ownership of a publicly traded company or equity of any value in a privately held company)
- Therapten
Mount Sinai’s faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.