معرفی
David Rickman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology/Laboratory Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, with affiliations in the Cell and Developmental Biology Program and the Graduate School of Medical Sciences. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to hormonal therapy in prostate cancer, particularly through lineage plasticity and epigenomic reprogramming.
His research interests include:
- Cancer Biology and Prostate Cancer Progression
- Lineage Plasticity and Cellular Identity Loss
- Epigenomic and Transcriptomic Reprogramming
- Chromatin Accessibility and Pioneer Factors (e.g., FOXA1/2)
- Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer (NEPC) Development
- Therapeutic Reversal of Aggressive Cancer Phenotypes
The Rickman Lab investigates how transcription factors such as N-Myc and E2Fs, along with epigenetic modifiers like EZH2 and DNA methylation, drive the transformation of androgen receptor (AR)-positive prostate adenocarcinoma into AR-indifferent, aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer. The lab uses patient samples, genetically engineered mouse models, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), and organoids to model this process and explore interventions that can revert NEPC to a more treatable adenocarcinoma state.
Dr. Rickman has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including:
- New Investigator Award, Department of Defense (2008)
- Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Award (2014)
- IMPACT Award, Department of Defense (2017)
He mentors graduate students and contributes to the academic mission of Weill Cornell's PhD programs, particularly in cancer biology and molecular medicine. His lab is actively working on uncovering novel therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse lethal prostate cancer progression. Current projects include studying transcription factors driving lineage plasticity, DNA methylation reprogramming, and crosstalk between DNA methylation and EZH2 activity.
