Ben Z. Stanger

Ben Z. Stanger, M.D., Ph.D. is the Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, with appointments in the Department of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology. He serves as Director of the Penn Pancreatic Cancer Research Center (PCRC) and is an active member of the Abramson Cancer Center, Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Institute for Medicine and Engineering, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine. His laboratory is housed in the Biomedical Research Building II/III on the Penn campus in Philadelphia.

Education:

• SB (Life Sciences) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1988
• MD and PhD (Genetics) from Harvard Medical School, 1997

Dr. Stanger's research focuses on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is poised to become the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. His laboratory investigates how pancreatic tumors metastasize early in disease progression and identifies therapeutic vulnerabilities through studies of the tumor microenvironment, metabolism, cellular plasticity, and metastasis biology. His team employs genetically engineered mouse models that recapitulate human disease features, functional genomics, epigenetic analyses, and advanced in vitro culture systems.

Analysis of Dr. Stanger's recent publications (2019-2024) reveals a consistent focus on pancreatic cancer biology with increasing emphasis on tumor immunology and therapeutic resistance mechanisms. His research has evolved from fundamental studies of tumor-stroma interactions toward more translational investigations of KRAS inhibition, immune microenvironment regulation, and cellular reprogramming in cancer. Recent work demonstrates how tumor plasticity drives resistance to immunotherapy and how metabolic adaptations allow cancer cells to survive nutrient-deprived conditions.

Dr. Stanger maintains an active laboratory with diverse personnel including postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, research specialists, and administrative support. His lab has published in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, Cancer Discovery, Cancer Research, and Science. In addition to his research, Dr. Stanger has authored the book "From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine" which explores embryonic development through the lens of scientific history.

Research Team:

• Principal Investigator: Ben Stanger, MD, PhD
• Research Specialists: Chenghua Yang (Lab Manager), Lily Watson (Assistant Lab Manager)
• Research Coordinator: Sean O'Connor
• Postdoctoral Researchers: Austin Good, Cole Edwards, Feiyan Mo, Minh Than
• Graduate/Post-Graduate Students: Erin Hollander, Benjamin Kahn, Jayne McDevitt, Margo Orlen, William Sullivan, Jane Xie
• Undergraduate Researcher: Shreya Nair
• Executive Administrator: Fran Tucker