Aldape Takes on Role as Chief of the Laboratory of Pathology at NCI

Kenneth Aldape, MD

Kenneth Aldape, MD

Kenneth Aldape, MD, has joined the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research as chief of the Laboratory of Pathology, an integral component of the research and clinical community at the National Institutes of Health.

Prior to his current role, Aldape was a professor and department chair of pathology at the MD Anderson Cancer in Houston, Texas. He was later recruited to Toronto General Hospital and Research Institute to develop a brain tumor program and conduct clinical-translational research in neuro-oncology.

Additionally, he held a position at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center where he ran the MacFeeters laboratory for research in neuro-oncology. He plans to continue in a collaborative arrangement with this laboratory.

Aldape’s research focuses on the biology of specific alterations in brain tumors, including the CIC tumor suppressor gene, with a special focus on gliomas and meningiomas. Additionally, he works on the integration of new genomic and computational approaches to further advance cancer treatment and classification. As laboratory chief, he will work to expand the use of molecular platforms across different tumor types to promote new paradigms for tumor diagnosis and classification by pathologists.

Among numerous awards for both education and research, Aldape received the Translational Research Award, the Levin Award for Contributions to Neuro-Oncology Research, and the Gusha Award for Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Research, all awarded by the Society for Neuro-Oncology. He was named one of the Best Doctors in America from 2005 to 2011.

He was the president of Society for Neuro-Oncology from 2011 to 2013, where he continues to remain a member. He is also a member of the Association for Molecular Pathology, American Society for Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, and American Association of Neuropathologists. Additionally, he is a scientific advisor for the Sontag Foundation, which supports brain cancer research in the United States.

Aldape is a member of several editorial boards includingJournal of Pathology, Brain Pathology, Clinical Cancer Research, Neuro-Oncology,andJournal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. He is also an editor forBrain Tumor Pathology, Neuro-Oncology, andCancer Research.

He completed his medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco, where he later completed a residency in anatomic pathology and a fellowship in neuropathy. He joined the faculty soon after where he stayed for 6 years.