Luis F. Parada

Luis F. Parada is a Professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, affiliated with the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, where he leads the interdisciplinary Brain Tumor Center. His research focuses on modeling human cancers using genetically engineered mouse systems to study neurofibromatosis, glioblastoma, and other nervous system tumors. He is a faculty member in the Cell & Developmental Biology PhD program.

His research interests include:

• Developmental and molecular mechanisms of cancer
• Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and associated tumors
• Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST)
• Cancer stem cells and tumor progression
• Translational modeling from mouse to human cancers

Dr. Parada has received numerous national and international honors for his contributions to cancer and neuroscience research, including membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

• Fellow, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy (2023)
• Member, National Academy of Sciences (2011)
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009)
• Member, National Academy of Medicine (2007)
• Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2007)
• The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Sciences of Texas (TAMEST) (2007)
• Member, Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (2003)
• Professor, American Cancer Society Research (2002)

Dr. Parada has held major leadership roles in neuroscience and cancer research, including as Director of the Kent Waldrep Foundation Center for Basic Neuroscience Research at UT Southwestern and currently as leader of the Brain Tumor Center at MSKCC. His lab emphasizes hypothesis-driven mouse modeling with rapid validation in human samples, contributing significantly to understanding tumor biology. He is actively funded and leads an interdisciplinary research team focused on advancing therapeutic strategies for aggressive brain and nerve sheath tumors.