2019 O'Donnell Award in Medicine: Ralph DeBerardinis, Children's Medical Research Institute at UTSW

Dr. DeBerardinis is a professor at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) and chief of the Division of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolism at UT Southwestern Medical Center and director of the Genetic and Metabolic Disease Program at CRI.  He is a pioneer in studying how altered metabolism leads to diseases in humans. His work in cancer metabolism has changed our understanding of how tumors reprogram metabolic pathways to maximize energy production and growth. By analyzing tumor metabolism directly in patients, he has identified unexpected fuels and pathways not observed in conventional studies performed in the laboratory. These include unexpected roles for mitochondria and lactic acid in fueling aggressive tumors. Discoveries from Dr. DeBerardinis have opened new avenues of study for therapies and imaging techniques.