Stephen Baylin

Stephen Baylin, M.D., is a distinguished Professor of Oncology and Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, holding the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Chair for Cancer Research. He co-heads the Cancer Biology Division at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-leads the Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer® Epigenetics Dream Team. His research focuses on epigenetic mechanisms in cancer, particularly DNA methylation and histone modification-driven tumor suppression. Baylin's work has pioneered the use of epigenetic therapies to reactivate silenced genes and enhance immunotherapy efficacy.

• Education: M.D. from Duke University (1968), residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins.
• Research Interests: Epigenetic regulation in cancer progression, immune evasion mechanisms, and combination therapies targeting epigenetic pathways.
• Affiliations: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Van Andel Institute, and multiple collaborative networks including the Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network.

Baylin's research highlights include discovering that DNMT inhibitors induce viral mimicry to activate innate immunity, a breakthrough for cancer immunotherapy. He has authored over 450 publications and received prestigious awards like the Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize and election to the National Academy of Sciences.

• Key Contributions: Development of epigenetic-drug combinations (e.g., DNMT/PARP inhibitors) and their clinical translation in trials targeting leukemia, breast, and colorectal cancers.

His work bridges basic science and clinical applications, emphasizing the interplay between epigenetics, DNA damage repair, and immune response in cancer therapy.