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John Heymach

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


John V. Heymach is an American physician–scientist and oncologist who serves as professor and chair of the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he holds the David Bruton Jr. Chair in Cancer Research. He is internationally recognized for his work on the biology and treatment of lung cancers, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and for pioneering studies of therapeutic resistance, tumor angiogenesis, and biomarker-driven targeted and immunotherapy approaches.[1][2][3] His area of expertise is medical oncology with a focus on lung cancer; with expertise in oncogenes, angiogenesis, and the tumor immune microenvironment.

His contributions to the field of lung cancer research include:[1][2][3]

  • Structure-based classification for predicting response to EGFR inhibitors
  • Development of new treatment approaches for EGFR exon 20 insertions
  • Identification of mechanism of resistance (MOR) for EGFR TKIs and development of novel therapeutic approaches for drug resistant cells (DRCs) and drug-tolerant persister cells (DTPCs)
  • Targeting HER2 mutant NSCLC, discovery
  • Discovery that co-occurring genomic alterations (COGAs) define major subsets of KRAS mutant NSCLC with distinct biology, immune profiles, and therapeutic vulnerabilities
  • Identification of mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in STK11/LKB1- and KEAP1-mutant NSCLC
  • Identification of four major subgroups of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with distinct biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities for SCLC
  • Changing the clinical paradigm for early stage and oligometastatic NSCLC

Heymach is also frequently featured as an expert source in national news and patient‑facing media, where he explains advances in lung cancer detection and treatment for general audiences. He has appeared in outlets such as NBC News and CNN discussing how immunotherapy and targeted therapies have improved survival for patients with advanced lung cancer and how changing smoking patterns and earlier diagnosis are reshaping the disease. In addition, he is regularly interviewed by oncology news platforms and podcasts about new drugs and clinical trial results, including emerging HER2‑targeted therapies and the use of adjuvant and perioperative immunotherapy in NSCLC.[4]

Education

Degree-Granting Education

1998 Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA, USA, MD, Medicine[5]

1996 Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA, USA, PHD, Neuroscience[5]

1989 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA, BA, Chemistry[5]

Postgraduate Training

2000-2003 Clinical Fellowship, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare Medical Oncology Fellowship Program, Boston, MA

1999-2000 Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women′s Hospital, Boston, MA[5]

1998-1999 Clinical Internship, Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women′s Hospital, Boston, MA[5]

Licenses and Certifications

2005: Medical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine 2002: Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine[5]

Career

In 2005, Heymach joined the faculty of MD Anderson Cancer Center as an assistant professor in thoracic oncology. He rose through the academic ranks and, in 2013, became chair of the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, a position in which he leads multidisciplinary clinical and research programs in lung and head and neck cancers. At MD Anderson he also serves as co-leader of the Lung Cancer Moon Shot, leader of the Lung Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) program, and co-principal investigator of the Lung SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence).[6][1][2]

Heymach’s clinical practice focuses on lung cancers, including KRAS-mutant lung cancer, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), EGFR-mutant NSCLC, HER2-driven tumors, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and oligometastatic NSCLC. As a clinical investigator, he leads multiple biomarker-directed clinical trials using targeted therapies and immunotherapies, with an emphasis on precision-medicine strategies.[2][6]

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Primary Appointment

Chair, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX[5]

Professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston[5]

David Bruton, Jr Chair in Cancer Research, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX[5]

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX[5]

Previous Employment

Associate Professor, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology and Cancer Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2009

Assistant Professor, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology and Cancer Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2015

Instructor, Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 2003

Research

As a physician-scientist, Dr. Heymach’s research focuses on investigating mechanisms of therapeutic resistance to targeted agents, understanding the regulation of angiogenesis in lung cancer, and the development of biomarkers for targeted agents and immunotherapy. [5] His research has led to new therapeutic approaches for KRAS mutant lung cancer, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), adenoid cystic carcinoma, and oligometastatic NSCLC, many of which are now considered standard of care regimens or undergoing clinical testing. [5]

He serves as PI on 4 R01 awards investigating molecular subsets of lung cancer, and on an U01 focused on SCLC. He serves as the MDACC PI for the SU2C-ACS Lung Cancer Dream Team targeting KRAS mutant lung cancers, as the leader of the Lung CCSG Program, and the co-leader of the Lung Cancer Moon Shot. He is also the co-PI and project leader of the Lung SPORE.[5]

Heymach Laboratory

The mission of Dr. Heymach’s laboratory is to improve the clinical outcome of lung patients through scientific advances in understanding the molecular drivers of the disease, the development of predictive biomarkers of drug sensitivity, and the identification of new therapies and mechanisms of resistance.[7]

His research has both basic and translational components and employs integrative approaches of genomic and proteomic analyses of human samples coupled with an extensive collection of cell lines and mouse models to advance the understanding of lung cancer. [7]

Dr. Heymach’s laboratory interests include "investigating new approaches for targetable pathways in EGFR, KRAS, and STK11/LKB1 mutant NSCLC, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy in lung cancer." [7]

Honors and Awards

2020 Potu N. Rao Award: Excellence in Basic Science Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center[5]

Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research, 2025[8]

Waun Ki Hong Award for Excellence in Team Science, 2023[9]

Mark Green Visiting Professorship, 2024; Potu Rao Award for Excellence in Basic Science, 2020[10]

Finneran Family Prize in Translational Research Award, 2018[11]

Benjamin Felson Memorial Award, 2014[12]

Emil Frei III Award for Excellence in Translational Research, 2012[13]

Mentor of the Year, 2008

Damon-Runyon Clinical Investigator Award, 2004[14]

ASCO Career Development Award, 2004[15]

AACR-Amgen Fellowship in Clinical or Translational Research, 2003[16]

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship for Medical Students, 1991[17]

Media Coverage

"Woman, 42, Details 1st Signs of Stage 4 Lung Cancer That Doctors Dismissed for Months" Today[18]

"Why screening for the deadliest cancer in the U.S. misses most cases" The Washington Post[19]

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "John V. Heymach, MD, PhD". The American Society for Clinical Investigation. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "John V. Heymach". MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "John V. Heymach, MD, PhD". American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  4. Le, Xiuning; Robichaux, Jacqulyne P.; Nilsson, Monique; Vijayan, R. S. K.; Ravichandran, Ashwin; Wu, Jia; Elamin, Yasir Y.; Hong, Lingzhi; Pei, Jun; He, Jun; Patel, Sonia; Udagawa, Hibiki; Mani, Sriramvignesh; Jang, Chang Woon; Clarke, Jeffrey M. (2025-09-24). "Poziotinib for EGFR exon 20-insertion NSCLC: Clinical efficacy of the phase 2 ZENITH trial and differential impact of EGFR exon 20 insertion location on sensitivity". Nature Communications. 16 (1): 8358. Bibcode:2025NatCo..16.8358L. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-61817-8. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 12460621 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 40993146 Check |pmid= value (help).
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 "John V. Heymach". MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "John Heymach, M.D., Ph.D. » ModeX Therapeutics". ModeX Therapeutics. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Heymach Laboratory". MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  8. Raymund, Elise. "MD Anderson awards top honors to exceptional faculty". MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  9. "AACR-Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Translational and Clinical Cancer Research: Past Recipients". American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  10. "Mark R. Green Visiting Professorship in Thoracic Oncology | MUSC". www.musc.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  11. Rogers, David. "Prostate cancer patient gives back to MD Anderson". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  12. "Radiopaedia.org". Radiopaedia. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  13. "PRIME® Faculty Biography - John V. Heymach, MD, PhD". primeinc.org. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  14. "Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award Overview". www.damonrunyon.org. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  15. "Career Development Award - ASCO". www.asco.org. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  16. "Research Training and Fellowships". American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  17. "HHMI Research Opportunities for Medical Students". health.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  18. "Woman, 42, Details 1st Signs of Stage 4 Lung Cancer That Doctors Dismissed for Months". TODAY.com. 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  19. "Why screening for the deadliest cancer in the U.S. misses most cases". The Washington Post. 2025-11-24. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  20. Patel, Sonia A.; Nilsson, Monique B.; Le, Xiuning; Cascone, Tina; Jain, Rakesh K.; Heymach, John V. (2023-01-04). "Molecular Mechanisms and Future Implications of VEGF/VEGFR in Cancer Therapy". Clinical Cancer Research: An Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 29 (1): 30–39. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-1366. ISSN 1557-3265. PMC 10274152 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 35969170 Check |pmid= value (help).
  21. Khan, Tahsin M.; Verbus, Emily A.; Gandhi, Saumil; Heymach, John V.; Hernandez, Jonathan M.; Elamin, Yasir Y. (August 2022). "Osimertinib, Surgery, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients with Stage IIIB or IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with EGFR Mutations (NORTHSTAR)". Annals of Surgical Oncology. 29 (8): 4688–4689. doi:10.1245/s10434-022-11627-9. ISSN 1534-4681. PMID 35527328 Check |pmid= value (help).
  22. Le, Xiuning; Negrao, Marcelo V.; Reuben, Alexandre; Federico, Lorenzo; Diao, Lixia; McGrail, Daniel; Nilsson, Monique; Robichaux, Jacqulyne; Munoz, Irene Guijarro; Patel, Sonia; Elamin, Yasir; Fan, You-Hong; Lee, Won-Chul; Parra, Edwin; Solis Soto, Luisa Maren (April 2021). "Characterization of the Immune Landscape of EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Identifies CD73/Adenosine Pathway as a Potential Therapeutic Target". Journal of Thoracic Oncology: Official Publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. 16 (4): 583–600. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.12.010. ISSN 1556-1380. PMC 11160459 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 33388477 Check |pmid= value (help).
  23. Lam, Vincent K.; Zhang, Jianjun; Wu, Carol C.; Tran, Hai T.; Li, Lerong; Diao, Lixia; Wang, Jing; Rinsurongkawong, Waree; Raymond, Victoria M.; Lanman, Richard B.; Lewis, Jeff; Roarty, Emily B.; Roth, Jack; Swisher, Stephen; Lee, J. Jack (April 2021). "Genotype-Specific Differences in Circulating Tumor DNA Levels in Advanced NSCLC". Journal of Thoracic Oncology: Official Publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. 16 (4): 601–609. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.12.011. ISSN 1556-1380. PMC 8012216 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 33388476 Check |pmid= value (help).
  24. Nilsson, Monique B.; Robichaux, Jacqulyne; Herynk, Matthew H.; Cascone, Tina; Le, Xiuning; Elamin, Yasir; Patel, Sonia; Zhang, Fahao; Xu, Li; Hu, Limei; Diao, Lixia; Shen, Li; He, Junqin; Yu, Xiaoxing; Nikolinakos, Petros (March 2021). "Altered Regulation of HIF-1α in Naive- and Drug-Resistant EGFR-Mutant NSCLC: Implications for a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Dependent Phenotype". Journal of Thoracic Oncology: Official Publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. 16 (3): 439–451. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2020.11.022. ISSN 1556-1380. PMC 8207565 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 33309987 Check |pmid= value (help).
  25. Gay, Carl M.; Stewart, C. Allison; Park, Elizabeth M.; Diao, Lixia; Groves, Sarah M.; Heeke, Simon; Nabet, Barzin Y.; Fujimoto, Junya; Solis, Luisa M.; Lu, Wei; Xi, Yuanxin; Cardnell, Robert J.; Wang, Qi; Fabbri, Giulia; Cargill, Kasey R. (2021-03-08). "Patterns of transcription factor programs and immune pathway activation define four major subtypes of SCLC with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities". Cancer Cell. 39 (3): 346–360.e7. doi:10.1016/j.ccell.2020.12.014. ISSN 1878-3686. PMC 8143037 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 33482121 Check |pmid= value (help).
  26. Sitthideatphaiboon, Piyada; Galan-Cobo, Ana; Negrao, Marcelo V.; Qu, Xiao; Poteete, Alissa; Zhang, Fahao; Liu, Diane D.; Lewis, Whitney E.; Kemp, Haley N.; Lewis, Jeff; Rinsurongkawong, Waree; Giri, Uma; Lee, J. Jack; Zhang, Jianjun; Roth, Jack A. (2021-03-15). "STK11/LKB1 Mutations in NSCLC Are Associated with KEAP1/NRF2-Dependent Radiotherapy Resistance Targetable by Glutaminase Inhibition". Clinical Cancer Research: An Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 27 (6): 1720–1733. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-2859. ISSN 1557-3265. PMC 8138942 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 33323404 Check |pmid= value (help).
  27. Monteiro de Oliveira Novaes, Jose A.; Hirz, Taghreed; Guijarro, Irene; Nilsson, Monique; Pisegna, Marlese A.; Poteete, Alissa; Barsoumian, Hampartsoum B.; Fradette, Jared J.; Chen, Limo N.; Gibbons, Don L.; Tian, Xiangjun; Wang, Jing; Myers, Jeffrey N.; McArthur, Mark J.; Bell, Diana (March 2021). "Targeting of CD40 and PD-L1 Pathways Inhibits Progression of Oral Premalignant Lesions in a Carcinogen-induced Model of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma". Cancer Prevention Research (Philadelphia, Pa.). 14 (3): 313–324. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-20-0418. ISSN 1940-6215. PMID 33277316 Check |pmid= value (help).
  28. Paik, Paul K.; Felip, Enriqueta; Veillon, Remi; Sakai, Hiroshi; Cortot, Alexis B.; Garassino, Marina C.; Mazieres, Julien; Viteri, Santiago; Senellart, Helene; Van Meerbeeck, Jan; Raskin, Jo; Reinmuth, Niels; Conte, Pierfranco; Kowalski, Dariusz; Cho, Byoung Chul (2020-09-03). "Tepotinib in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with MET Exon 14 Skipping Mutations". The New England Journal of Medicine. 383 (10): 931–943. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2004407. ISSN 1533-4406. PMC 8422679 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 32469185 Check |pmid= value (help).
  29. Nilsson, Monique B.; Sun, Huiying; Robichaux, Jacqulyne; Pfeifer, Matthias; McDermott, Ultan; Travers, Jon; Diao, Lixia; Xi, Yuanxin; Tong, Pan; Shen, Li; Hofstad, Mia; Kawakami, Masanori; Le, Xiuning; Liu, Xi; Fan, Youhong (2020-09-02). "A YAP/FOXM1 axis mediates EMT-associated EGFR inhibitor resistance and increased expression of spindle assembly checkpoint components". Science Translational Medicine. 12 (559): eaaz4589. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz4589. ISSN 1946-6242. PMC 8269000 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 32878980 Check |pmid= value (help).
  30. Cascone, Tina; Sepesi, Boris; Lin, Heather Y.; Kalhor, Neda; Parra, Edwin R.; Jiang, Mei; Godoy, Myrna C. B.; Zhang, Jianjun; Fossella, Frank V.; Tsao, Anne S.; Lam, Vincent K.; Lu, Charles; Mott, Frank E.; Simon, George R.; Antonoff, Mara B. (2020-07-15). "A Phase I/II Study of Neoadjuvant Cisplatin, Docetaxel, and Nintedanib for Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer". Clinical Cancer Research: An Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 26 (14): 3525–3536. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-4180. ISSN 1557-3265. PMC 7446232 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 32193228 Check |pmid= value (help).
  31. Stewart, C. Allison; Gay, Carl M.; Ramkumar, Kavya; Cargill, Kasey R.; Cardnell, Robert J.; Nilsson, Monique B.; Heeke, Simon; Park, Elizabeth M.; Kundu, Samrat T.; Diao, Lixia; Wang, Qi; Shen, Li; Xi, Yuanxin; Zhang, Bingnan; Della Corte, Carminia Maria (2021-01-28). "Lung cancer models reveal SARS-CoV-2-induced EMT contributes to COVID-19 pathophysiology". bioRxiv 10.1101/2020.05.28.122291 Check |biorxiv= value (help).
  32. Lin, Steven H.; Lin, Yan; Yao, Luyang; Kalhor, Neda; Carter, Brett W.; Altan, Mehmet; Blumenschein, George; Byers, Lauren A.; Fossella, Frank; Gibbons, Don L.; Kurie, Jonathan M.; Lu, Charles; Simon, George; Skoulidis, Ferdinandos; Chang, Joe Y. (February 2020). "Phase II Trial of Concurrent Atezolizumab With Chemoradiation for Unresectable NSCLC". Journal of Thoracic Oncology: Official Publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. 15 (2): 248–257. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2019.10.024. ISSN 1556-1380. PMID 31778797.
  33. Welsh, James W.; Heymach, John V.; Chen, Dawei; Verma, Vivek; Cushman, Taylor R.; Hess, Kenneth R.; Shroff, Girish; Tang, Chad; Skoulidis, Ferdinandos; Jeter, Melenda; Menon, Hari; Nguyen, Quynh-Nhu; Chang, Joe Y.; Altan, Mehmet; Papadimitrakopoulou, Vassiliki A. (February 2020). "Phase I Trial of Pembrolizumab and Radiation Therapy after Induction Chemotherapy for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer". Journal of Thoracic Oncology: Official Publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. 15 (2): 266–273. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2019.10.001. ISSN 1556-1380. PMID 31605794.
  34. Reuben, Alexandre; Zhang, Jiexin; Chiou, Shin-Heng; Gittelman, Rachel M.; Li, Jun; Lee, Won-Chul; Fujimoto, Junya; Behrens, Carmen; Liu, Xiaoke; Wang, Feng; Quek, Kelly; Wang, Chunlin; Kheradmand, Farrah; Chen, Runzhe; Chow, Chi-Wan (2020-01-30). "Comprehensive T cell repertoire characterization of non-small cell lung cancer". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 603. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11..603R. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-14273-0. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 6992630 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 32001676 Check |pmid= value (help).


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