Dr. Richard T. Pomerantz

BCA 2026 Exceptional Project Grantee

Richard T. Pomerantz, PhD is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Director of the Molecular Medicine Endowment Fund at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, and co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer for Recombination Therapeutics, LLC. Dr. Pomerantz’s academic laboratory studies mechanisms of DNA repair in mammalian cells, and focuses on leveraging insights into DNA repair deficiencies in cancers to develop novel anti-cancer drugs in collaboration with his start-up company. Current studies aim to develop novel therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance to FDA approved PARP inhibitors in breast and ovarian cancers.

Dr. Pomerantz conducted his doctoral studies at State University of New York Downstate Medicial Center where he studied the biochemical mechanisms of RNA transcription. Dr. Pomerantz performed his postdoctoral research at the Rockefeller University from 2006 to 2013 where he studied mechanisms of DNA replication and repair. Dr. Pomerantz started his independent research lab as an assistant professor in 2013 at Temple Lewis Katz School of Medicine where he continued to study mechanisms of DNA replication and repair, and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2018. In 2018, Dr. Pomerantz co-founded a start-up company called Recombination Therapeutics, LLC whose goal is to develop next-generation precision medicines for cancer patients. In 2020, Dr. Pomerantz joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University where he continues to study mechanisms of DNA repair and cancer drug development.