Frank Slack, PhD

Meet Dr. Frank Slack, our Co-Director of the Precision RNA Medicine Core at BIDMC. He is also the Shields Warren Mallinckrodt Professor in the Department of Pathology, and the director of the HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine.

Dr. Slack's academic journey began with a BSc from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, followed by the completion of his PhD in molecular biology at Tufts University School of Medicine.

As a postdoctoral fellow in Gary Ruvkun’s laboratory at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Slack made groundbreaking contributions to the field of microRNAs. He co-discovered let-7, which marked a significant milestone as the second known microRNA.

Dr. Slack's laboratory is at the forefront of the small RNA revolution. They achieved the discovery of the first human microRNA, let-7, and unveiled its role as a tumor suppressor, governing critical cancer genes like RAS, MYC, and LIN28. Driven by this knowledge, they are actively developing let-7 and another microRNA, miR-34, as innovative cancer therapeutics, with miR-34 already progressing to Phase I clinical trials. Their pioneering work also revealed the pivotal roles of microRNAs as oncogenes, leading to strategies for targeting these oncomiRs in cancer therapy.

Beyond microRNAs, their research extends to the discovery of novel small RNAs in development, cancer, aging, and diabetes. Additionally, they explore the identification of novel SNPs within the non-coding regions of the genome, with a vision to pinpoint the next generation of actionable targets in the fight against cancer.