Dr. Markus Frank

Biography

Markus Frank is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He is also a member of the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children's Hospital and serves as co-leader of the HSCI Skin Program. His research primarily focuses on the physiological and pathological roles of the P-glycoprotein family, particularly the ABCB5 gene which plays a crucial role in cancer stem cell maintenance and tumor growth in melanoma and other malignancies. He has demonstrated that ABCB5 functions as a drug-resistance mediator in human melanoma and identified malignant melanoma-initiating cells (MMICs) that correlate with tumorigenic growth. His work is pivotal in understanding the therapeutic efficacy of targeting ABCB5 in treating human malignant melanoma and has provided insights into the immunomodulatory functions of cancer stem cells. His academic foundation was built with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College and an M.D. from the University of Heidelberg. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Nephrology at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Research Interests