Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Department of Medicine

Faculty Profiles

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photo Richard A. Steinman, MD, PhD

Hematology/Oncology

Associate Professor of Medicine

Associate Professor of Pharmacology

Email: steinman@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-623-3237

Contact
Office: Scaife Hall, M247B
200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-623-3237
Fax: 412-623-4840
E-mail: steinman@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Lynnette Robinson
Address: 5117 Centre Avenue
Room 2.32
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Email: robilm@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-623-7776
Education and Training
Education
BS, Haverford College, 1978
M.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1987
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1988
Training
Internship, Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh/Presbyterian U. Hospital, 1987
Residency, Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh/Presbyterian U. Hospital, 1988
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Dept. of Medicine, 1990
Research Interest
Dr. Steinman's laboratory studies the cancer microenvironment with a focus on the molecular and functional interactions between cancer cells, fibroblasts and platelets. He has developed novel tools to enable fluorescent labeling and desired planned genetic recombination of normal cells that are next to cancer cells, making it possible for normal cells that were in the path of cancer cells to be isolated and characterized for cancer-induced collaborative signals. Through this approach he seeks to uncover and to dissect the impact of signaling pathways on tumor-stromal co-evolution. He also studies tumor dormancy, modeling factors in host stromal cells that could contribute to breast cancer recurrence and conversion to estrogen receptor negativity in bone. His study of communication between cancer and normal cells also includes work on platelets, in which his laboratory has identified an unexpected pathway that appears to be necessary for platelets to bind to cancer cells and support their spread. Dr. Steinman is currently PI on 3 NIH grants as well as a DoD grant
Educational Interest
Dr. Steinman has a longstanding interest in the education of physician scientists, serving as Director of Pitt’s Medical Scientist Training Program since 2012. He has also directed the University of Pittsburgh Physician Scientist Training Program since 2008. The goal for the MSTP is that it builds trainees’ professional and scientific skills in a framework that models research-clinical integration and enriches their ability to make strategic career and scientific decisions that accelerate their success. Diversity in the physician scientist workforce is another interest; he has initiated and directed a multi-year NIH-supported collaborative education and training program between the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Hampton University, a minority-serving institution. This program involved dozens of faculty and established multiple courses and laboratory rotations in Cancer Biology at Hampton, launching a 13-year involvement with that institution. An additional interest is the development of novel educational tools and strategies; these have led to awards and publications.
Publications
Selected Publications:
Steinman RA, Yang Q, Gasparetto M, Robinson X, Liu DE, Lenzner E, Jou J, Smith C, Wang Q. "Deletion of the RNA-Editing Enzyme ADAR1 Causes Regression of Established Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in Mice,". International Journal of Cancer. 2013; 132(8): 1741-50.
Steinman RA, Brufsky AM, Oesterreich S. "Zoledronic acid effectiveness against breast cancer metastases-a role for estrogen in the microenvironment?". Breast Cancer Research. 2012; 14: 213.
Steinman RA, Robinson A, Feghali-Bostwick C. "Antifibrotic effects of roscovitine in normal and scleroderma fibroblasts". PloSOne. 2012; 7: e48560.
Ernst J, Ghanem L, Bar-Joseph Z, Brown J, McNamara M, Steinman RA. “IL-3 and oncogenic Abl regulate the myeloblast transcriptome by altering mRNA stability,”. PLoS One. 2009; 10: 7469.
Birru M, Steinman RA. “Online Health Information and Low-literacy African Americans,”. Medical Internet Research. 2004; 6: 109-114.
Birru MS, Monaco VM, Drew H, Njie V, Bierria T, Detlefsen E, Steinman RA. "Observational Analysis of Internet Usage by Low-Literacy Adults Seeking Health Information,". Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2004; 6: 67-78.
Steinman RA, Wentzel A, Lu Y, Stehle C, Grandis JR. Activation of Stat3 by cell confluence reveals negative regulation of Stat3 by cdk2,. Oncogene. 2003; 5: 3608-15.
Yaroslavskiy B, Watkins S, Stolz D, Bradbury N, Alba S, Steinman RA. Anti-Apoptotic Action of p21WAF1 Involves Stabilization of c-IAP1 Protein Expression. Molecular Medicine. 2001; 7: 49-58.
Steinman RA, Johnson D. p21 Inhibits Differentiation in 32Dcl3 Cells. Molecular Medicine. 2000; 6: 736-749.
Steinman RA, Huang JP, Yaroslavskiy B, Goff JP, Ball ED, Nguyen A. Regulation of p21(Waf1) during myelopoiesis. Blood. 1998; 91: 4531-4532.
Notable Achievements
Innovator Award, University of Pittsburgh, 2006
Academy of Master Educators, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2006-present
Recombinant DNA Award, Addgene, 2010
Fraley Award for Mentoring, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2012
AAMC Award for Innovations in Research Training and Education, 2016
Philip Troen MD Excellence in Mentoring Award, 2016