Dr. Joan Massagué is a preeminent leader in cancer biology, currently serving as Chief Scientific Officer and Director of the Sloan Kettering Institute at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center while holding a professorship at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Born in Barcelona, Spain on April 30, 1953, he earned his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Barcelona in 1978 under Professor Joan J. Guinovart. Following postdoctoral training at Brown University where he investigated insulin receptor mechanisms, he joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1982. Dr. Massagué assumed his position at Memorial Sloan Kettering in 1989 as the Alfred P. Sloan Chair of the Sloan Kettering Institute's Cell Biology Program, later becoming Director of the Institute in 2013 and Chief Scientific Officer of MSKCC in 2023.
Dr. Massagué has pioneered transformative research elucidating the signaling pathways that regulate normal cell behavior and cancer metastasis, most notably the transforming growth factor-beta TGF-β pathway. His seminal work delineated the complete TGF-β signal transduction mechanism from the cell membrane to the nucleus, revealing how external signals control cell division through novel CDK inhibitors and providing critical insights into embryonic development and tissue regeneration. This fundamental research established the molecular basis for understanding how disruptions in these pathways cause tumor formation and metastasis. Dr. Massagué's identification of genes and mechanisms that mediate metastasis in vital organs has answered long-standing questions in cancer biology and opened new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
As a visionary leader in oncology research, Dr. Massagué has profoundly shaped the field through his mentorship of numerous scientists who have established successful research programs worldwide. His current laboratory investigates metastatic stem cells and their stromal niches with particular focus on immune regulatory and regenerative signals including TGF-β in tissue homeostasis, fibrosis, and cancer progression. Dr. Massagué serves on the Scientific Review Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and as Adjunct Director of the Barcelona Institute for Research in Biomedicine, extending his influence across international research communities. His ongoing research continues to define the phenotypic plasticity of metastatic cell populations from dormancy to outbreak while identifying novel drug targets to combat metastatic disease.
