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Michael Dean Retires from the NCI After 35 Years of Service

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Michael Dean, Ph.D., senior investigator in the Laboratory of Translational Genomics, retired from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in July 2026. Dr. Dean is known for his work on germline genetic variation, somatic mutations in tumors, and the combined effect on cancer risk, progression, and response to therapy. He also investigated the genetic components of cancer health disparities in the U.S. and in Latin America.

Dr. Dean participated in cloning genes (PTCH, VHL) involved in inherited cancers; characterized common variants associated with cancer; and sequenced the genomes of tumors to identify commonly altered genes. In LTG, Dr. Dean conducted functional studies to unlock the mechanisms through which genetic alterations affect cancer risk. By evaluating the genetic factors of tumor as well as host, he focused on the study of human papillomaviruses (HPV) and cervical cancer.

He sequenced the exome (coding portion of the genome) of tumors from the bladder, cervix, kidney, prostate, and adrenal gland. These data have identified potential markers for early diagnosis and targets of therapy, and many somatic mutations of the genes involved in histone modification and chromatin remodeling. In the case of cervical cancer, he studied variation in HPV and its impact when it integrates into the genome of the tumor cells.

Earlier in his career, he was one of the first to report that individuals homozygous for the CCR5-Δ32 deletion show near-complete resistance to HIV-1 infection.

He is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, the American Association of Cancer Research, and the Human Genome Organization, and is an adjunct faculty member at Hood College. In 2022, Dr. Dean received the Hubert H. Humphrey Award for Service to America.

Dr. Dean obtained his Ph.D. from the Biochemistry Department at the Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. He completed postdoctoral studies at the NCI, Center for Cancer Research, on the MET oncogene and cystic fibrosis gene.

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