Richard L. Hurwitz, MD
- Cancer and Blood Disorders
Director, Retinoblastoma Program
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, and Department of Ophthalmology, and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine
Office location:
1102 Bates Avenue
Houston, TX 77030
Get to know Richard L. Hurwitz, MD
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
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 |
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 |
Board Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics
American Board of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology
Honors and awards
- 2016
-
Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Award for Development of Enduring Educational Materials, Baylor College of Medicine
* 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.
Research interests
Gene therapy for ocular diseases, Cellular origin of retinoblastoma, Retinal degenerative diseases