Contact Information

Office 
(631) 444-1638

Email 
Richard.Lin@sunysb.edu

Stony Brook University
Basic Science Tower, T-6, Room 180
Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8661

photo of Dr Lin
Zin Research Lab

Richard Z. Lin, MD

Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics,
Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University

Research Program

Lipid Signaling and Metabolism in Cancer

Department

Department of Physiology and Biophysics

Research Interest 

My laboratory studies the physiological functions and pathological roles of PI3Ks. This family of lipid kinases produces the intracellular second messenger phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate that regulates diverse cellular functions. We are currently investigating two research aims: 1) the role of PI3K in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer, and 2) the role of PI3K in regulating the function of cardiac ion channels. 

Abnormal upregulation of PI3K signaling is one of the most common oncogenic contributors in the development of human cancers.  We discovered that the p110α isoform of PI3K is essential for the initiation of pancreatic cancer caused by oncogenic Kras (Wu, et al. Gastroenterology 2014). We are now investigating the role of p110α in the maintenance and progression of pancreatic cancer.

We reported that downregulation of p110α signaling due to drug inhibition or diabetic conditions changes multiple ion currents in cardiac myocytes that result in prolongation of the QT interval on the ECG (Lu et al., Science Translation al Medicine, 2012). QT prolongation in humans can increase the risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmias. We are now studying the mechanisms by which PI3K signaling regulate cardiac ion channel function. 

Education

A.B., Columbia University, New York, NY, 1984
MD, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, 1988
MPH, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 1987
MS, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 1990

Publications

A complete list of publications can be found HERE.