Arnold Levine is a widely acclaimed leader in cancer research.  In 1979, Levine and others discovered the p53 tumor suppressor protein, a molecule that inhibits tumor development.  He established the Simons Center for Systems Biology at the Institute, which concentrates on research at the interface of molecular biology and the physical sciences: on genetics and genomics, polymorphisms and molecular aspects of evolution, signal transduction pathways and networks, stress responses, and pharmacogenomics in cancer biology.

University of Pennsylvania, PhD 1966; Princeton University, Assistant Professor 1968–73, Associate Professor 1973–76, Professor 1976–79, Harry C Wiess Professor in the Life Sciences 1984–98, Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology 1984–96; Stony Brook University Medical Center School of Medicine, Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Professor 1979–83; The Rockefeller University, President and Chief Executive Officer and Robert Harriet Heilbrunn Professor of Cancer Biology 1998–2002, Professor and Head of Laboratory 2002; Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Professor 2003–; Institute for Advanced Study, Visiting Professor 2002–04, Professor 2004–2011, Professor Emeritus 2011–; American Association for Cancer Research Academy, Fellow; National Academy of Sciences, Member; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Biomedical Research 2000; Keio University Medical Science Fund, Japan, Keio Medical Science Prize 2000; Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research 2001; American Association for Cancer Research, Kirk A Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research 2008; Dart/NYU Biotechnology Achievement Award in Basic Biotechnology 2008; American Cancer Society, Medal of Honor 2009; Lars Onsager Medal 2012,