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John Mendelsohn, M.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Member, Graduate Faculty, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1963 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, MD, Cum Laude, Medicine
1959 University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom, Scotland, Fulbright Scholar, Research in Molecular Biology
1958 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, BA, Magna Cum Laude, Biochemical Science

Postgraduate Training

1968-1970 Fellow, Hematology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
1967-1968 Senior Resident, Medicine, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA
1967-1968 Assistant, Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
1965-1967 Research Associate, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
1964-1965 Assistant Resident, Medicine, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA
1963-1964 Clinical Internship, Medicine, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA

Board Certifications

1979 American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
1973 American Board of Internal Medicine, Hematology
1969 American Board of Internal Medicine

Experience/Service

Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities

President, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 1996-2011

Honors and Awards

2008 Dorothy P. Landon − AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research, American Association for Cancer Research
2007 AICF Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine (jointly with Dr. Jose Baselga), American-Italian Cancer Foundation
2007 The Norman Vincent and Ruth Stafford Peale Humanitarian Award. Jointly awarded with his wife., Guideposts
2006 Future Time Dimension - in the Field of Cancer Therapy, Dan David Prize and Dan David Foundation
2006 Honorary Doctorate Degree, Yonsei University, Seoul Korea
2006 Honorary Doctorate Degree, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
2006 Loving Hearts and Caring Hands Award, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
2005 Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal
2005 Honorary Doctorate Degree, Naples University, Italy
2004 27th Bristol-Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb
2002 Simon M. Shubitz Award, University of Chicago Cancer Center Research Foundation
1999 4th Joseph H. Burchenal American Association for Cancer Research Clinical Research Award, American Association for Cancer Research
1997 Bristol-Myers Squibb Cancer Research Award
1997 Phi Beta Kappa Outstanding Alumnus Award, Phi Beta Kappa Alumni of Greater Houston
1997 Raymond Bourgine Award for Excellence in Cancer Research
1962 Alpha Omega Alpha, Harvard Medical School
1958-1959 United States Fulbright Scholar in Biochemistry, University of Glasgow, Scotland
1958 Phi Beta Kappa, Harvard College

Professional Memberships

American Association for Cancer Research
Member, The Leadership Council of the President's Circle, 2006-present
Member, The Leadership Council of the President's Circle, AACR Foundation for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer, 2006-present
Member, Nominating Committee for the Clinical Research and Experimental Therapeutics Awards, 2004-2005
Co-Chairperson, Selection Committee, Clinical Research Awards Committee, 2004
Founding Editor-in-Chief, Clinical Cancer Research, 1994-2004
Chairman, Publications Committee, 1991-1994
Finance Committee, 1991-1994
Board of Directors, 1990-1993
Member (elected), Board of Directors, 1990-1993
Public Affairs Committee, 1988-1989
Chairman, Nominating Committee, 1987-1989
Member, 1977-present
American Cancer Society
Member, Board of Directors, 1981-1985
American Medical Association
Member, 1967-present
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Member, Roster of Cancer Experts, 2005-present
Chair, Molecular Oncology Committee, 2000-2001
Chairman, Program Committee, 1987
Member, 1978-present
American Society of Hematology
Chairman, Scientific Subcommittee on Neoplasia, 1997
Member, 1996-present
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Member, Board of Directors, 2006-present
Harris County Medical Society, TX
Member, 1996-present
Texas Medical Association, TX
Consultant, 2004-present
Member, 1996-present

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Baselga J, Pfister D, Cooper MR, Cohen R, Burtness B, Bos M, D'Andrea G, Seidman A, Norton L, Gunnett K, Falcey J, Anderson V, Waksal H, Mendelsohn J. Phase I studies of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor chimeric antibody C225 alone and in combination with cisplatin. J Clin Oncol 18(4):904-14, 2/2000.
2. Baselga J, Tripathy D, Mendelsohn J, Baughman S, Benz CC, Dantis L, Sklarin NT, Seidman AD, Hudis CA, Moore J, Rosen PP, Twaddell T, Henderson IC, Norton L. Phase II study of weekly intravenous trastuzumab (Herceptin) in patients with HER2/neu-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. Seminars in Oncology 26(4 Suppl 12):78-83, 8/1999.
3. Wu X, Rubin M, Fan Z, DeBlasio T, Soos T, Koff A, Mendelsohn J. Involvement of p27KIP1 in G1 arrest mediated by an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody. Oncogene 12(7):1397-403, 4/1996.
4. Fan Z, Baselga J, Masui H, Mendelsohn J. Antitumor effect of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies plus cis-diamminedichloroplatinum on well established A431 cell xenografts. Cancer Research 53(19):4637-42, 10/1993.
5. Baselga J, Norton L, Masui H, Pandiella A, Coplan K, Miller WH, Jr, Mendelsohn J. Antitumor effects of doxorubicin in combination with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 85(16):1327-33, 8/1993.
6. Van de Vijver MJ, Kumar R, Mendelsohn J. Ligand-induced activation of A431 cell epidermal growth factor receptors occurs primarily by an autocrine pathway that acts upon receptors on the surface rather than intracellularly. J Biol Chem 266(12):7503-8, 4/1991.
7. Divgi CR, Welt S, Kris M, Real FX, Yeh SDJ, Gralla R, Merchant B, Schweighart S, Unger M, Larson SM, Mendelsohn J. Phase I and imaging trial of indium 111-labeled anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody 225 in patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 83(2):97-104, 1991.
8. Gill GN, Kawamoto T, Cochet C, Le A, Sato JD, Masui H, McLeod C, Mendelsohn J. Monoclonal anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies which are inhibitors of epidermal growth factor binding and antagonists of epidermal growth factor binding and antagonists of epidermal growth factor-stimulated tyrosine protein kinase activity. J Biol Chem 259(12):7755-60, 6/1984.
9. Masui H, Kawamoto T, Sato JD, Wolf B, Sato G, Mendelsohn J. Growth inhibition of human tumor cells in athymic mice by anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies. Cancer Research 44(3):1002-7, 3/1984.
10. Kawamoto T, Sato JD, Le A, Polikoff J, Sato GH, Mendelsohn J. Growth stimulation of A431 cells by epidermal growth factor: identification of high-affinity receptors for epidermal growth factor by an anti-receptor monoclonal antibody. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 80(5):1337-41, 3/1983.

Invited Articles
1. Mendelsohn J. Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor for cancer therapy. J Clin Oncol 20:1S-13S, 9/2002.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Grant
Funding Source: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator: Zhen Fan
Duration: 10/1/2007 - 9/30/2008

Last updated: 1/23/2013