Eric C. Holland, MD, PhD

I am a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in the treatment of patients with gliomas — the most common malignant brain tumor in adults — and metastatic brain tumors. I am an attending physician in the Departments of Neurosurgery,  and Neurology as well as a laboratory head in the  Sloan-Kettering Institute's Cancer Biology and Genetics Program. I am  Director of the Brain Tumor Center — a virtual interdepartmental center that bridges Memorial Hospital and the Sloan-Kettering Institute to support research related to brain tumors and promote its translation into clinical trials with the potential to benefit patients. I am also Vice Chair for Translationa Research in the Department of Surgery.

In the laboratory, my research team is seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of central nervous system tumors and developing models of these cancers in mice. My colleagues and I have developed mouse models of many subtypes of gliomas, including the first truly lifelike model of glioblastoma — the most lethal brain tumor in people. These animal models are essential for making the transition from a scientific concept to understanding the behavior of a human tumor.

Over the years, I have received several awards, including the American Brain Tumor Association Research Award, the Bittner, Bressler, Farber Award, Searle Scholar Award, Seroussi, the Steck Award and the Voynick Awards. In addition, I am a member of the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine.