Steven D Leach

Steven D. Leach is Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology, Surgery, and Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where he also holds the Preston T. and Virginia R. Kelsey Distinguished Chair in Cancer and serves as Director of the Dartmouth Cancer Center (Norris Cotton Cancer Center). He has previously held leadership and faculty positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Johns Hopkins University.

• MD, Emory University
• BS in Biology, Princeton University (with high honors)
• Additional training at Yale and MD Anderson

Dr. Leach's research is centered on pancreatic cancer biology, with a focus on understanding early tumorigenic events through developmental and molecular pathways. His lab utilizes mouse and zebrafish models to investigate epithelial plasticity, oncogenic signaling (particularly Notch and Kras), immune responses, and clonal evolution in pancreatic neoplasia. His work has revealed key mechanisms linking pancreatic development to cancer, including the role of acinar cells as cells of origin and the discovery of unique immune neoepitopes in long-term survivors.

The selected publications, spanning from 2003 to 2017, reflect a sustained focus on the molecular and immunological underpinnings of pancreatic cancer. Themes include oncogenic signaling (Notch, Kras), tumor microenvironment interactions, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and immune neoantigen landscapes. These works, published in top journals like Nature and Cell, demonstrate a trajectory from mechanistic discovery to translational immunology.

• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2019
• Robert Woodruff Fellow, Emory University

Dr. Leach has a strong record of mentorship, having trained 32 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have achieved independent faculty positions and NIH funding. He has been the principal investigator on numerous NIH grants, including R01, P01, P30, U01, S10, and T32 awards, supporting both research and training initiatives. His lab currently includes research scientists, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates engaged in projects on mRNA splicing, chromatin dynamics, and clonal evolution.

The Leach Laboratory is an active research group within the Dartmouth Cancer Center, focusing on translational pancreatic cancer research. Lab members include graduate students from the Molecular and Cellular Biology program, postdoctoral researchers, and research scientists, working collaboratively on projects that bridge basic science and clinical applications. The lab utilizes advanced model systems and genomic technologies to uncover fundamental mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression.