Dr. Richard Olding Hynes is a world-renowned British biologist whose pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of cellular mechanisms in cancer development and metastasis. He currently serves as the Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holding joint appointments in the Department of Biology and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. After completing his undergraduate and master's studies in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, he earned his PhD in Biology from MIT in 1971, followed by postdoctoral research at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London. Dr. Hynes returned to MIT in 1973, where he steadily advanced through the academic ranks to become a full professor in 1983, subsequently serving as Head of the Biology Department from 1989 to 1991 and as Director of the MIT Center for Cancer Research from 1991 to 2001.
Dr. Hynes is celebrated for his groundbreaking discovery of fibronectin, a critical cell adhesion protein that is characteristically absent on cancer cells but present on normal cells, which he identified during his postdoctoral fellowship at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. His subsequent research has profoundly advanced the scientific community's understanding of the extracellular matrix, integrins, and cell adhesion mechanisms, revealing their essential roles in normal development, physiology, and pathological conditions, particularly cancer metastasis. His laboratory's investigations into the protein networks surrounding cells have provided crucial insights into how tumor cells spread throughout the body, establishing foundational principles that continue to guide cancer research worldwide. This seminal work has earned him international recognition as a leading authority in molecular cell biology and cancer research.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Hynes has significantly shaped scientific policy and practice through his influential leadership roles, including serving as President of the American Society for Cell Biology in 2000 and participating in the development of United States research guidelines for stem cell research. As a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator for three decades from 1988 to 2019, he mentored generations of scientists and helped establish cell adhesion research as a critical component of cancer biology. His extensive recognition includes election to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the Royal Society of London, along with numerous prestigious awards such as the Gairdner International Award. Dr. Hynes continues to influence the field through his ongoing research at MIT, where his laboratory remains at the forefront of investigating the complex mechanisms of cancer metastasis and developing new approaches to combat this devastating aspect of cancer progression.
