Richard Kolesnick

Richard Kolesnick is a Professor at the Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences and a Principal Investigator in the Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). He is affiliated with the Department of Pharmacology and has strong ties to programs in Biochemistry & Structural Biology, Cellular Signaling, and Radiobiology.

His research focuses on the sphingomyelin/ceramide signaling pathway and its role in apoptotic and mitotic cell death following radiation and chemotherapy. Key areas include microvascular injury, stem cell fate, and tissue damage in both tumor and normal tissues. His lab has pioneered the use of anti-ceramide antibodies to protect against radiation-induced gastrointestinal damage and diabetic retinopathy.

Dr. Kolesnick has made transformative contributions to the field, including co-developing single-dose radiotherapy and demonstrating the translational efficacy of ceramide-targeting therapies from rodents to non-human primates. His work is supported by collaborations with institutions such as NIAID, Michigan State University, and through biotech innovation via the Ceramedix network.

Notable scientific recognitions include:

• Discovery of the Sphingomyelin/Ceramide Signaling Pathway for Apoptotic Cell Death
• Co-development of Single Dose Radiotherapy for cancer cure
• Development of anti-ceramide antibodies for nuclear attack countermeasures (NIH/DOD)
• Therapeutic application in diabetic retinopathy
• Founding the Ceramedix biotech network
• Membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation

Dr. Kolesnick has mentored numerous trainees and led long-standing research programs at MSKCC, bridging basic science with clinical applications. His laboratory collaborates extensively with leaders such as Zvi Fuks, Hans Clevers, and Julia Busik, and is actively involved in federal radiation countermeasures initiatives. He also maintains a clinical role as an endocrinologist at Memorial Hospital.

His research is conducted within the Kolesnick Lab at SKI, which operates at the intersection of pharmacology, radiation biology, and translational therapeutics, with a strong emphasis on vascular biology and tissue regeneration.