Dr. Richard J. Lin

Richard J. Lin, MD, PhD, is a hematologist-oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center specializing in transplantation and cellular therapy, with a focused clinical expertise in geriatric oncology and supportive care. He is dedicated to caring for older patients, typically those over 60 years of age, with the goal of maximizing treatment benefits, minimizing side effects, and preserving function and quality of life through an interdisciplinary team approach. His path into blood cancer medicine was shaped early in his career by translational research in acute promyelocytic leukemia, where he helped demonstrate that combining two targeted therapies could induce long-lasting disease remission, sparking a sustained commitment to finding cures for hematologic malignancies.

Dr. Lin's research and clinical interests center on harnessing cellular immunotherapy for advanced blood cancers while reducing treatment-related toxicities, particularly for older adults. As a clinician researcher, he designs and leads clinical trials that integrate geriatric assessment and management with novel age-friendly therapeutics in the context of transplantation and cellular therapy. His work bridges multiple disciplines, including geriatric oncology, translational geroscience (the scientific study of the biology of aging), and supportive care, to develop and test strategies that meaningfully improve outcomes for this often underserved patient population.

Beyond his clinical and research roles, Dr. Lin collaborates broadly with colleagues across specialties to refine treatment approaches tailored to the unique needs of older patients with blood cancers. His dual training in medicine and research, reflected in his MD and PhD, informs a practice grounded in both scientific rigor and compassionate, patient-centered care. Outside of medicine, he enjoys time with his family, travel, and attending sporting events.