Robert A. Winn, MD

Portrait of Dr. Robert A. Winn

Cancer Center Director, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Senior Associate Dean for Cancer Research Innovation and Professor, Department of Cancer and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Professor, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center

Research Program

Robert A. Winn, MD, is the Cancer Center Director at Fox Chase Cancer Center. A nationally recognized physician-scientist, researcher, and cancer center leader, Dr. Winn has built his career around advancing cancer discovery while ensuring that progress reaches the patients and communities that need it most.

Dr. Winn’s work is grounded in a deeply personal belief in hope, opportunity, and community. He often describes himself not as self-made, but as “community made,” shaped by early educational opportunities, family support, and mentors who recognized his potential. That perspective continues to inform his collaborative leadership style and his commitment to creating opportunities for others.

An expert in pulmonary disease, critical care medicine, lung cancer, cancer disparities, and community-engaged research, Dr. Winn has focused much of his career on translating scientific advances into meaningful improvements in outcomes. He describes this work as taking cancer research “from bench to bedside to the block,” a philosophy rooted in the idea that discovery cannot stop in the laboratory or clinic. It must improve lives across entire communities.

Prior to joining Fox Chase, Dr. Winn served as Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has also held national leadership roles, including service with the Association of American Cancer Institutes, the American Cancer Society Board of Directors, and the LUNGevity Foundation Board of Directors.

At Fox Chase, Dr. Winn is focused on building on the center’s extraordinary legacy while strengthening collaboration, trust, access, and impact across Temple Health, Philadelphia, and beyond. 

Educational Background

  • Bachelor of Arts, University of Notre Dame
  • Doctor of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
  • Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago
  • Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver

Certifications

  • Internal Medicine
  • Pulmonary Disease
  • Critical Care Medicine

Memberships

  • Association of American Cancer Institutes
  • American Cancer Society Board of Directors
  • LUNGevity Foundation Board of Directors
     

Honors & Awards

  • Inaugural recipient of the 2021 Association of American Cancer Institute Cancer Health Equity Award
  • Immediate Past President, Association of American Cancer Institutes
  • Namesake of the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program, a $114 million training and education program in partnership with the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation
     

People

Lab Overview

Winn Lab Vision

To transform lung cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment through innovative translational science that integrates molecular cancer biology, population science, and health equity - improving outcomes for all patients regardless of where they live, work, or receive care.

Winn Lab Mission

Under the direction of Dr. Robert A. Winn, the Winn Lab conducts pre-clinical, translational research aimed at understanding the biological and social drivers that lead to lung cancer development and progression. Through the integration of cutting-edge molecular biology, diverse patient-derived models, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), large-scale omics-datasets, and epidemiology, we seek to uncover novel mechanisms of disease and translate discoveries into meaningful clinical impact.

Our Scientific Focus

We are particularly interested in understanding how:

  • External & internal stress pathways influence lung cancer initiation and progression
  • Ion channels regulate tumor behavior and therapeutic responses via canonical and non-canonical channel functions
  • RNA-binding proteins and their regulators contribute to cancer biology and gene regulation
  • Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) drive oncogenic signaling and disease progression

How We Advance Discovery

The Winn Lab leverages a multidisciplinary convergence science approach by:

  • Studying patient-derived models, 2D and 3D cell systems, and organoids
  • Investigating biologic differences across diverse populations through biobanks and cohort studies
  • Utilizing genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs)
  • Integrating computational biology approach to analyze multi-omic data (e.g., genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and sequencing datasets)
  • Collaborating with experts across molecular biology, oncology, epidemiology, computational biology, bioengineering, and public health

Why Our Work Matters

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Yet significant disparities persist in who develops lung cancer, who receives timely care, and who survives the disease.

The Winn Lab is committed to understanding not only the molecular drivers of lung cancer but also the impact of:

  • Geographic location and neighborhood characteristics
  • Environmental and social stressors
  • Structural and social drivers of health
  • The relationship between environmental factors and biological factors (neighborhood and cancer risk: ZNA – Zip code Neighborhood Association)

By examining how ZIP code, community environment, and living experience intersect with biology, we aim to uncover actionable factors that contribute to cancer disparities and identify strategies that promote equitable cancer outcomes.

Strategic Vision and Goals to Achieve Our Mission

Goal 1: Champion Diversity in Cancer Research

Develop and utilize research strategies that better reflect the diversity of populations impacted by lung cancer.

Goal 2: Discover Biological Drivers of Lung Cancer

Identify novel molecular mechanisms involving stress signaling, ion channels, RNA-binding proteins, senescence, and PRMTs that can serve as therapeutic targets.

Goal 3: Advance Precision and Translational Medicine

Translate laboratory discoveries into clinically relevant biomarkers and treatment strategies that improve patient outcomes.

Goal 4: Integrate Biology with Population Health

Bridge molecular science with epidemiology and social drivers of health to create a comprehensive understanding of lung cancer risk and progression.

Goal 5: Reduce Lung Cancer Disparities

Generate evidence that informs interventions, policies, and clinical strategies aimed at eliminating inequities in lung cancer incidence, access to care, and survival.

Goal 6: Foster Convergence Science and Collaboration

Build strategic partnerships across disciplines to accelerate discovery and maximize the impact of scientific innovation.

Our Future

The Winn Lab envisions a future where scientific breakthroughs and health equity advance together - where every discovery not only deepens our understanding of lung cancer biology but also contributes to eliminating disparities and improving outcomes for all communities.

Link to Dr. Winn’s publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/robert.winn.1/bibliography/public/

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