Timothy R. Rebbeck
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Timothy R. Rebbeck | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Northwestern University Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health University of Michigan Medical School |
| Known for | Cancer research Cancer prevention Cancer genetics Molecular epidemiology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Cancer genetics Molecular epidemiology Cancer prevention Cancer health disparities Global health |
| Institutions | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
Timothy R. Rebbeck is an internationally recognized cancer researcher who has contributed to the understanding of cancer genetics, molecular epidemiology, cancer prevention, cancer health disparities, and global health. He is the Vincent L. Gregory, Jr. Professor of Cancer Prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Rebbeck is the founding director of the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at Harvard and the Center for Global Health at Dana-Farber.
Early Life and Education
Professor Rebbeck was born and raised in South Dakota. After receiving part of his high school education in Germany, he received a bachelor of science degree in biology from Northwestern University. During his time at Northwestern, he was awarded a Richter Scholarship to study any topic of his choice. He chose to travel with the New York Botanical Garden to study medicinal plants in the Brazilian Amazon. He studied the uses of Labiatae (Lamiaceae) hyptis in traditional medicine among natives of the Maranhao, Amazonas and Para states in Brazil, and submitted this work as his senior undergraduate thesis. He subsequently earned graduate degrees from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Institute for Cancer Research at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Academic Career
Professor Rebbeck began his academic research and teaching career at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where was on the faculty from 1994-2015. In 2015, he joined the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. He was appointed the Vincent L. Gregory, Jr, Professor of Cancer Prevention, and founded and continues to lead the Center for Global Health at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. He has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1994.
During his academic career, Rebbeck has led a series of nationally- and internationally-recognized initiatives:
Prostate Cancer Professor Rebbeck has led studies of prostate cancer etiology, risk, and prevention in the US and Africa[1]. He founded and leads the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) network, a global initiative that investigates the causes of prostate cancer in men of African ancestry and translates this information into approaches that address the disproportionate burden of prostate cancer in Africa and other lower resource settings. This work has been recognized with the Landon Foundation–AACR Innovator Award and a Fulbright Specialist appointment to Africa, where he developed cancer research capacity across a pan-African network. Since its founding in the early 2000's, the MADCaP network has expanded to include research centers in 8 African countries including Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Rwanda, Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa. The network fosters initiatives that address geospatial, clinical, pathology, genomics, behavioral, project management, and other aspects of prostate cancer in Africa. The work of MADCaP has led to critical insights into the genetic causes of prostate cancer in African men[2].
Cancer Genetics
Professor Rebbeck has made significant contributions to identifying genetic risk factors for hereditary and sporadic cancers, particularly involving pathogenic variants that occur in BRCA1 and BRCA2 and lead to elevated risks of breast, prostate, ovarian, and other cancers. His work has been recognized as foundational to the understanding that variation in mutational location in these genes is associated with different cancer risks[3][4]. Specifically, he develop multiple cohort- and population-based studies of women who have inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants and assessed the factors that influence cancer risk in these women. He was among the first to report that risk-reducing mastectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy can lower cancer risk and mortality in these very high risk women. This work led to guidelines that remain used for risk management in these women.
Bringing this research and clinical impact to Africa, Rebbeck is the co-founder of the African Oncogenetics Network (AON), which aims to expand cancer genetics research and infrastructure to lower resource settings in Africa. The goal of the AON is to ensure that all individuals, no matter where they live, can benefit from state-of-the-art cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment modalities that are afforded by clinical cancer genetics and genomics information. The AON launched the Hammamet Declaration in 2025, which states the foundational principles for cancer clinical genetics in Africa.
Cancer Epidemiology and Disparities
Professor Rebbeck is am international leader in molecular other risk factors associated with cancer. He is recognized as an expert in the influence of risk factor differences on cancer health disparities, including social and biological factors that may explain why some groups experience elevated cancer risks [5][6]. He has served as an expert on panels and working groups that provide scientific and public health guidance on the impact of exposures that may be associated with cancer in specific populations [7] including common exposures such as alcohol [8]. He has been recognized for his contributions by all of the leading cancer societies with the highest award in his discipline, including the American Association for Cancer Research[9] the American Society for Clinical Oncology[10] and the American Society for Preventive Oncology. He has been elected as a Fellow of the AACR Academy.[11]
Cancer Prevention and Early Detection
Professor Rebbeck has focused on translating genetic discoveries into actionable cancer prevention strategies. His research has guided current clinical practice for risk assessment and management in high-risk carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants[12] and the development of the concept of precision prevention. Through the Zhu Family Center, he is involved in the International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection (ACED) and supports innovative research an implementation of early detection tools such as liquid biopsy technologies. He first described the concept of “precision cancer prevention” that is guides prevention approaches based on an individual’s personal cancer risk [13][14]
Cancer Training and Education
Professor Rebbeck has mentored over 70 trainees at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. He directs the Strategic Training Achievements for Research Success (STARS) program, an NIH-funded initiative that has trained over 120 cancer researchers and project managers across Africa. He is also the co-founder of Cancer Fact Finder , a public-facing platform that provides evidence-based cancer information to avoid propagation of cancer misinformation. In his work to develop cancer research capacity in Africa, he led the first World Health Organization-sponsored publication The Handbook for Cancer Research in Africa [15], which provides guidance on best practices for cancer research in Africa.
Awards and Honors
Richter Scholar at Northwestern University (1983)
Sigma Xi Research Award (1984)
CaPCURE Prostate Cancer Research Award (1998)
Vivian and Meyer P. Potamkin Foundation Award for Breast Cancer Research (2008)
Nathaniel I. Berlin Lectureship, Northwestern University (2008)
BJS Lectureship, Royal College of Surgeons, London (2009)
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)–Prostate Net Award for Epidemiological Research Excellence (2009)
NCI Director’s Service Award (2009)
Spirit of Empowerment Award, FORCE (2010)
Landon Foundation–AACR Innovator Award (2011)
Fulbright Specialist to Africa (2011–2016)
Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr. Distinguished Achievement Award, American Society for Preventive Oncology (2017)
American Society for Clinical Oncology–American Cancer Society Award and Lecture (2020)[10]
Fellow, AACR Academy (2024–present)[9]
AACR–American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention (2024)[11]
Maryann Donovan PhD Memorial Lecture, University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center (2025)
Charles A. LeMaistre Lecture in Oncology and Cancer Prevention, MD Anderson Cancer Center (2025)
References
- ↑ "Looking into the future diagnosis and treatment options for prostate cancer in Africa". 2023-03-30.
- ↑ Janivara, Rohini; Chen, Wenlong C.; Hazra, Ujani; Baichoo, Shakuntala; Agalliu, Ilir; Kachambwa, Paidamoyo; Simonti, Corrine N.; Brown, Lyda M.; Tambe, Saanika P.; Kim, Michelle S.; Harlemon, Maxine; Jalloh, Mohamed; Muzondiwa, Dillon; Naidoo, Daphne; Ajayi, Olabode O. (2024). "Heterogeneous genetic architectures of prostate cancer susceptibility in sub-Saharan Africa". Nature Genetics. 56 (10): 2093–2103. doi:10.1038/s41588-024-01931-3. ISSN 1546-1718 – via PUBMED.
- ↑ Returner, Rachael (April 7, 2015). "Breast Cancer Genes: How Much Risk Do BRCA Mutations Bring?". Live Science. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ Fox, Maggie (April 7, 2015). "All Breast Cancer Mutations Are Not Equal". NBC News. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ "ASCO 2024: Responsible and Equitable Biomarker Stewardship: How Do We Ensure Access to All Patients". urotoday.com. June 4, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Myeloma outcomes and disparities in African Americans". June 5, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ Longman, Jere (August 14, 2017). "The Brain Cancer That Keeps Killing Baseball Players". The New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Public health messaging about the risks of cancer associated with alcohol consumption". Oncodaily.com. January 6, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "AACR Announces 2024 Scientific Achievement Award Recipients". American Association for Cancer Research. February 27, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Dr. Timothy Rebbeck Discusses Precision Detection and Prevention of Cancer During ASCO-ACS Award Lecture". America Society of Clinical Oncology. August 9, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "AACR Announces Newly Elected 2024 Class of Fellows of the AACR Academy". January 12, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Genetic/Familial High Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, Pancreatic and Prostate" (PDF). National Comprehensive Cancer Network. v.1.2026. July 10, 2025.
- ↑ Drexler, Madeline (October 8, 2019). "The Cancer Miracle Isn't a Cure: It's Prevention". Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ "A Change of Perspective for Cancer?". Cancer Research UK. March 12, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ↑ Rebbeck, Timothy (2013). Handbook for Cancer Research in Africa (1st ed.). Brazzaville, Congo: World Health Organization. ISBN 978-92-9023-221-6.
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