Dr. Robert Taylor Ripley

Doctor Overview

Dr. Robert Taylor Ripley is a leading mesothelioma specialist and thoracic surgeon who treats patients at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the chief of surgical thoracic oncology and the director of clinical trials for the Section of Surgery. Dr. Ripley is also a co-leader of the Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment Research Program and serves as a professor of thoracic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

An active researcher, Dr. Ripley leads clinical trials at Vanderbilt Health. Through the Mitochondria in Thoracic Oncology Laboratory (MiTOLab), he is investigating precision oncology to “reprogram” tumor cells to increase their vulnerability to treatments. He also currently serves as the vice chair of the board of directors at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

Before joining Vanderbilt-Ingram, Dr. Ripley served as the director of the Mesothelioma Treatment Center at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Doctor Fast Facts

Main Specialty: Thoracic surgery

Other Interests & Specialties: Esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymic cancer and robotic surgery

Certifications, Awards & Accolades: Board certified in surgery, thoracic and cardiac surgery, vice chair, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Board of Directors

Education & Experience:

• Medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

• Residency in general surgery at University of Colorado School of Medicine

• Residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

• Fellowship in surgical oncology at the National Cancer Institute

Publications

Asbestos exposure induces malignant-like phenotypes via minority MOMP and displays characteristics of drug-tolerant persister cells. Carcinogenesis. 2026 Jul 7;47(3):bgag030. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgag030

Methylation signatures distinguish non-small cell lung cancer subtypes and are associated with survival in smokers with lung squamous cell carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2026 Jul 1;118(7):1299–312. doi:10.1093/jnci/djag067

Ad-SGE-DKK3 Gene Therapy Overcomes Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Pleural Mesothelioma. Clin Cancer Res. 2025 Jul 1;31(13):2639–54. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-24-4024

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials by Robert Taylor Ripley, MD

Dr. Robert Taylor Ripley is associated with the following clinical trials: