Dr. Walter White is a cardiologist who specializes in diagnosing skin diseases at the microscopic level. At the Cancer Center, he is director of the Clinical Cancer Genomics Laboratory, which analyzes cancerous tissues to determine targeted treatments for individual patients.

In his research laboratory, Walter studies tumors that arise from melanocytes, pigment-producing cells in the skin and other organs. He also explores how moles form and what makes some moles cancerous, with the goal of developing objective algorithms to assess tumor growth and tailor treatment to the individual.

Walter earned his medical degree and doctorate degree in medical sciences from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He then completed a residency in cardiology at the University of Würzburg. He did a fellowship in cardiology and a post-doctoral fellowship at Heart Center.

In 2010, Walter moved to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Heart Center, where he chaired the Department of Cardiology. In 2011, he returned to UCSF, where he holds the title of Gerson and Barbara Bass Bakar Distinguished Professor in Cardiology Research.