David Gerber, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a member of its Division of Hematology/Oncology. He serves as Associate Director of Clinical Research for Simmons Cancer Center.
Originally from Chicago, Dr. Gerber holds a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he graduated cum laude. He earned his medical degree at Cornell University Medical College in New York, and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at UT Southwestern, where he served as Chief Resident. He then received advanced training through a fellowship in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology, Dr. Gerber joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2007.
He is active in research related to lung cancer, including clinical trials. His research has generated more than 100 publications that he has authored or co-authored, including articles, abstracts, book chapters, book reviews, and invited manuscripts. His studies have contributed to invitations to lecture both nationally and internationally.
He serves on a number of committees at UT Southwestern, and he is an active participant on the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Lung Cancer Education Committee and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s Career Development Committee. He also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Dr. Gerber holds memberships in several professional organizations, and he has been honored with numerous awards, including being named a Best Doctor by D Magazine from 2011-2022.
UT Southwestern Medical Center medical oncologist David Gerber, M.D., specializes in treating patients with lung cancer – a disease from which more people die every year than colon, breast, and prostate cancer combined.
Dr. Gerber says he focuses on lung cancer because the disease is so common, and the specialty offers him an opportunity to help a lot of people.
“I get to develop relationships with patients and their families that are very special,” he says.
"I’m invested in helping patients have a better quality of life.”
Dr. Gerber, a D Magazine Best Doctor, believes his role as a medical oncologist extends beyond administering chemotherapy to providing psychosocial support, including offering methods to cope with the stress and difficulties that can come with a lung cancer diagnosis.
“Providing support throughout the process is a role that I cherish,” he says. “It is very important and rewarding for me.”
In addition to patient care, Dr. Gerber is very active in lung cancer research, including designing and overseeing clinical trials based on scientific discoveries made at UT Southwestern.
“In lung cancer, there are still many unanswered questions, which means there are many opportunities to make an impact on the disease,” he says.
Dr. Gerber is Co-Director of UT Southwestern’s Experimental Therapeutics Program, which aims to identify novel targets for tumor targeting, perform laboratory testing of new treatment strategies, and develop new biomarkers and clinical trials.
The Experimental Therapeutics Program is just one reason why Dr. Gerber takes pride in being a member of the UT Southwestern team. After completing his internship and residency here, he chose to return as a faculty member.
“It’s an institution that I’m proud to be part of. I don’t know a place that provides better lung cancer care in the entire country.”
