Brent R. Stockwell, PhD, is the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biological Sciences and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, and Professor of Chemistry in Arts & Sciences, Columbia University, and Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. His research involves the discovery of small molecules that can be used to understand and treat cancer and neurodegeneration, with a focus on biochemical mechanisms governing cell death. In a series of papers from 2003-2012, Dr. Stockwell discovered compounds that activate a previously unrecognized form of cell death that he termed ferroptosis. His lab defined key mechanisms governing ferroptosis, its therapeutic implications, and essential reagents for studying this new form of cell death. Dr. Stockwell has received numerous awards, including being elected to the US National Academy of Medicine, the 2024 Cell Death and Differentiation Award, and the Great Teacher of Columbia College Award. He has been in the top 1 percent of highly cited researchers the last five years and was ranked among the top 50 scientists in the world in 2025. He has published >200 scientific articles, been awarded 23 US patents, and received >50 research grants for >$40 million.