Peter Van Loo

Peter Van Loo is a Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he leads research at the intersection of cancer genomics, genetics, and genome biology. His work focuses on deciphering somatic copy-number events, retrotransposition, and the evolutionary dynamics of tumorigenesis, particularly in breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Recent breakthroughs include demonstrating that concurrent L1 retrotransposition events promote reciprocal translocations in human tumorigenesis (Science, 2026) and developing Arborist, a computational tool that prioritizes bulk DNA-inferred tumor phylogenies using low-pass single-cell DNA sequencing data (bioRxiv, 2026). He also pioneered ultrasensitive ctDNA detection for preoperative disease stratification in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (Nature Medicine, 2025). His research integrates pathology and oncogene biology to quantify rate-limiting genetic variation, with ongoing international collaborations advancing precision oncology.