
Steven Forsythe, Ph.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 10, Room 8D19
- Bethesda, MD 20892-1201
- steven.forsythe@nih.gov
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Forsythe’s research focuses on the development of models for rare cancers and characterizing these models for the discovery of new therapies. His research also incorporates the study of induced genetic modifications to better understand tumor development.
Areas of Expertise

Steven Forsythe, Ph.D.
Research
Dr. Forsythe is an expert in the creation of novel tumor models from patient tissues for future study, with a focus on therapeutic development. He is currently working on developing patient derived organoid and cell line models of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancers. By creating these models, he intends to provide them for better clinical understanding of these rare cancers to provide treatments for patients with few other options. He also is studying how the acquisition of driver mutations in these cultures can alter cancer behavior and create new opportunities to predict patient treatment plans. He works with clinicians to create new translational projects with the goal to improve our treatment outcomes.
Publications
- Bibliography Link
- Models in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Current Perspectives and Future …
- Cisplatin exhibits superiority over MMC as a perfusion agent in a peritoneal me…
- Organoid Platform in Preclinical Investigation of Personalized Immunotherapy E…
- Personalized Identification of Optimal HIPEC Perfusion Protocol in Patient-Deri…
- Drug compound screening in single and integrated multi-organoid body-on-a-chip …
Biography

Steven Forsythe, Ph.D.
Dr. Forsythe received his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduation, he joined the laboratory of Aleksander Skardal at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine. He worked on multiple projects involving biomaterial development, the organoid body-on-a-chip program for toxicity testing, and precision medicine-based cancer therapies utilizing organoid culture. He then received a master's degree in biomedical sciences, and began his doctoral dissertation work in the laboratory of Shay Soker at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. His thesis involved the prediction of appendiceal cancer treatment sensitivity towards HIPEC therapy utilizing patient-derived organoids and alterations to DNA repair. Dr. Forsythe has extensive experience with a variety of rare cancers, including appendiceal, mesothelioma, Merkel cell carcinomas, paraganglioma, and pheochromocytomas in addition to colorectal, brain, and melanoma.