Goals for the AACR
As a physician-scientist specializing in early-phase clinical drug development and translational research, my goals for the AACR are to further deepen our understanding of cancer biology and to translate these insights into transformative patient outcomes. I will foster stronger collaborations between scientists and clinicians to seamlessly transition innovative ideas and drug discoveries from the lab to clinic using modernized trial designs. I will promote education and mentorship as the Vail Workshop codirector and advance iterative translational studies between lab and clinic as AACR Special Conferences Committee chair. Together, we can accelerate drug approvals and make significant strides towards curing cancer.
Research Interests
Translational research; cancer therapeutics; thoracic/head and neck cancer; first-in-human trials and the combinatorial development of molecularly targeted agents and immunotherapies; pharmacodynamic biomarkers; reverse translational studies; synthetic lethality strategies; targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) with novel therapeutics; next-generation CDK inhibitors; innovative immunotherapies.
Current Affiliations
Head, clinical development and vice president, Therapuetics Discovery Division; professor, Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Program) and professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine; and associate director, translational research, Khalifa Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Previous Positions
Associate professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (2016-2023), Houston, Texas.
Education
BS, immunology and infectious disease (2000), and MBBS, Doctor of Medicine (2002), Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; PhD, molecular pharmacology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom.
Postdoctoral Training
Intern, general surgery, Northwick Park and St. Marks Hospitals (2002-2003), London, United Kingdom; intern, internal medicine, St. Mary’s Hospital (2002-2003), London, United Kingdom; resident, internal medicine, Oxford University Hospitals (2003-2005), Oxford, United Kingdom; resident, medical oncology (2005-2006); research fellow, medical oncology (2006-2010); PhD research fellowship, molecular pharmacology (2007-2020); and fellow, medical oncology (2010-2013), Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom.
Selected AACR Service, Honors, and Awards
Incoming editor-in-chief, Clinical Cancer Research (2025); Codirector, AACR/ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop (2025-2027); cochair, AACR Lung Cancer Task Force (2024-present); chair, Special Conferences Committee (2024-present); scientific committee cochair, AACR-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Conference (2023-2024); chair, AACR Industry Roundtable (2023); member, AACR Clinical Trials Advisory Council (2023-present); member, AACR Cancer Progress Report Steering Committee (2022); member, AACR Exploratory IND/Phase 0 Clinical Trials Task Force (2021-present); member, AACR Precision Combination Therapy Task Force (2021-present); scientific editor, AACR Journal, Cancer Discovery (2020-present); member, AACR-CRUK Transatlantic Postdoctoral Fellowships Scientific Review Committee (2019-2021); member, Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee (2017-2019, 2021-2023); member, Annual Meeting Program Committee (2016-2017, 2021-2022).
Selected Non-AACR Service, Honors, and Awards
Honoree, Faculty Honoree for Research Excellence (2024); honoree, DoCM PI with Highest Accrual to NCI ETCTN Trials (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020); recipient, Emil Frei III Award for Excellence in Translational Research (2023); DoCM PI with Fastest Trial Activation Times at MD Anderson (2022, 2021); recipient, Irwin H. Krakoff Award for Excellence in Clinical Research (2021); honoree, President’s Recognition of Faculty Excellence Award in Research Excellence (2021); recipient, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Annual Michaele Christian Oncology Development Award and Lectureship (2019); member, Scientific Advisory Board, National University Hospital, Singapore (2019-present); member, Scientific Advisory Board, Merck (2016-2021); member, Scientific Advisory Board, AstraZeneca (2016-2019); member, Scientific Advisory Board, Pfizer (2016-present); member, Editorial Board, Investigational New Drugs (2016-present); member, Editorial Board, European Journal of Cancer (2015-present); recipient, UK Association of Cancer Physicians McElwain Prize (2012); recipient, Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award (2011); recipient, Roche Pollenzo Breast Journal Club Award (2010); recipient, ASCO/NCI/EORTC Symposium Merit Award (2010); recipient, EORTC-NCI-ASCO Travel Award (2009); recipient, Geoffrey Pegrum Memorial Prize, Imperial College, London (2002); recipient, Huggett Memorial Prize, Imperial College, London (2000).