Riccardo Dalla-Favera, MD

Riccardo Dalla-Favera, MD, is a Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Pathology & Cell Biology, and Genetics & Development at Columbia University. He serves as the Percy & Joanne Uris Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of the Institute for Cancer Genetics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Dalla-Favera earned his MD from the University of Milan.

Over the past 30 years, his research has focused on the molecular genetics of cancer, particularly the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies such as Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). His laboratory has identified key genetic lesions involved in these tumors, including the human c-MYC oncogene associated with Burkitt Lymphoma and the BCL6 oncogene, a major contributor to most human lymphomas. Recently, his team has been at the forefront of characterizing the coding genome of DLBCL, leading to the discovery of additional genetic lesions affecting epigenetic modulators, antigen-presenting molecules, and plasma cell differentiation. His research employs mouse models to investigate the tumorigenic functions of these lesions and develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Dr. Dalla-Favera's recent work highlights the significant role of hypermutation in non-coding regulatory regions in the pathogenesis of DLBCL.