Dr. Leonard Zon is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in the fields of stem cell biology and cancer genetics. He received his MD...
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Dr. Leonard Zon is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in the fields of stem cell biology and cancer genetics. He received his MD from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. He is founder and former president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research and chair of the Executive Committee of the newly formed Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI). In 2005, Dr. Zon was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He recently completed a term as President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
As Director of the Trans-NIH Zebrafish Genome Initiative, he has established the world’s leading research facility utilizing zebrafish as an animal model that can mimic human disease. Dr. Zon has found that the zebrafish is a powerful model system that contributes to our basic understanding of blood stem cells and cancer biology. His current research focuses on two critical avenues of investigation. One path aims to identify the genes that direct stem cells develop into more specialized blood or organ cells. The second path is developing chemical or genetic suppressors to cure cancers and many other devastating diseases.
