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Location

Texas Medical Center

Specialty
Cancer and Hematology
Phone: 832-824-4259
Fax: 832-825-4846
Email

rlhurwit@texaschildrens.org

Address

1102 Bates Ave., Ste. 1025.24
Houston, TX 77030

Richard L. Hurwitz, MD

Director, Retinoblastoma Program
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, and Department of Ophthalmology, and Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine

Education

School Education Degree Year
University of Minnesota Medical School at Minneapolis Fellowship Hematology-Oncology 1980
University of Minnesota Medical School at Minneapolis Residency Pediatrics 1978
Albany Medical College Medical School Doctor of Medicine 1975
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Bachelors Bachelor of Science 1975

About

Dr. Richard Hurwitz is a Co-Director of the Retinoblastoma Program. Dr. Richard Hurwitz studies the potential use of gene therapy for the treatment of ocular diseases. He has shown that a novel treatment for retinoblastoma using suicide gene therapy is safe and possibly effective in children. To further refine this therapeutic option, Dr. Hurwitz is studying the cellular origin of retinoblastoma and the differences between invasive and non-invasive forms of this disease.

In addition, in vivo models of retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration are being used to develop gene therapy treatments for retinal degenerative diseases. The mechanism of adenoviral-mediated transgene expression in the ocular environment is being explored with goals of providing future molecular targets to modulate adenoviral-mediated gene therapy for both retinoblastoma and retinal degenerative diseases and possibly of controlling adenovirus infection in general.

Clinical Interests
Hematology
Retinoblastoma
Gene Therapy

Research Interests
Gene therapy for ocular diseases
Cellular origin of retinoblastoma
Retinal degenerative diseases

Board Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics
American Board of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology

Organizations

Organization Name Role
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Member
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Member
American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Member
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Member
The Society for Pediatric Research Member

Awards & Honors

2016     Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Award for Development of Enduring Educational Materials, Baylor College of Medicine

Language

English



* Texas Children's Hospital physicians' licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician's office and were not verified by Texas Children's Hospital.