Dr. David A. Scheinberg

Dr. David A. Scheinberg, MD, PhD, is a world-leading physician–scientist in leukemia immunotherapy who holds the Vincent Astor Chair and serves as Chair of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Deputy Director for Therapeutic Discovery at the Sloan Kettering Institute of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He earned his MD and PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1983 and completed internal medicine residency at The New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center, followed by fellowship training at MSKCC. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Dr. Scheinberg provides clinical care for patients with leukemia and directs laboratory research aimed at developing novel targeted immunotherapies, including monoclonal antibodies, T-cell receptor mimic antibodies, targeted nanodevices, cellular “micropharmacies,” and therapeutic cancer vaccines.

His laboratory is internationally renowned for pioneering eight therapeutic agents that have progressed to human clinical trials. Notable advances include the first humanized antibody for acute leukemia, the initial targeted alpha-particle therapies and molecular nanogenerators, and the first oncogene-directed peptide vaccine—a WT1 vaccine now in phase III trials. His team has also produced breakthrough discoveries involving proto-typical nano-devices and nano-scale cellular systems, with publications in top-tier journals such as Science, Nature Biotechnology, Science Translational Medicine, and Nature Chemical Biology. Dr. Scheinberg has authored over 350 scientific papers, holds more than 40 biomedical patents, and was named one of the world’s top translational scientists by Nature Biotechnology in 2013.

In addition to his laboratory achievements, Dr. Scheinberg shapes the field through leadership, mentorship, and strategic innovation. He founded and chairs MSKCC’s Experimental Therapeutics Center and Nanotechnology Center, co-directs the tri-institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute with Weill Cornell and Rockefeller University, and serves as professor and graduate program co-chair at Weill Cornell. He has been elected to top professional societies including the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation. His work has earned prestigious awards such as the Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist Professorship, Emil J. Freireich Award, and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Translational Investigator Awards. Through his exceptional integration of patient care, disruptive drug development, and scientific leadership, Dr. Scheinberg is recognized as a foremost authority shaping the future of leukemia therapy.