Simon Messing, PhD, is a RAS Initiative cancer scientist who pursues groundbreaking research through the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. His team has a particular focus on the protein LZTR1, which generates a different protein PIK3m that can potentially block cancer growth. Simon Messing earned the 2025 CRTP Scientific Achievement Award and High Impact Publication Award for his work toward understanding how LZTR1 recognizes, binds, and degrades RAS proteins.

Dr. Messing’s leadership responsibilities in laboratory projects include management of personnel, purifications, and expression scheduling for the production group. He has been effective in significantly boosting group productivity and meeting ambitious project timelines. He provides mentoring, technical leadership, and guidance that yield sustained positive results.

Dr. Messing’s experience includes a research fellowship with the Laboratory for Molecular Biology of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Among the research projects he led were helitron/rolling circle to Hermes/cut and paste transposition, with a focus on new gene therapy systems. His leadership in this spanned molecular, cellular, and structural biology functions, as well as biochemistry.

Simon Messing