John Minna, M.D.

John Minna, M.D.

  • Max L. Thomas Distinguished Chair in Molecular Pulmonary Oncology
  • Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research
  • Internal Medicine - Hematology/Oncology
  • Lung Cancer

Biography

John Minna, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in lung cancer.

Dr. Minna earned his medical degree at Stanford Medical School. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and received advanced training in biochemical genetics through a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in medical oncology, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1991.

Dr. Minna is Director of the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research at UT Southwestern. He holds the Max L. Thomas Distinguished Chair in Molecular Pulmonary Oncology and the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research.

Prior to joining UT Southwestern, he was Chief of the Section of Somatic Cell Genetics, Chief of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-VA, and Chief of the NCI-Navy Medical Oncology Branch.

Dr. Minna’s research has focused on understanding the molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer and translating his findings into the clinic. As part of this, he has trained many investigators in lung cancer research. He leads a joint Lung Cancer NCI Special Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant between UT Southwestern and MD Anderson Cancer Center and is part of several NCI and State of Texas Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (CPRIT) multi-investigator grants to discover new therapeutic approaches and personalized medicine for lung cancer.

He co-leads the Experimental Therapeutics Program at UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Currently, he is working with a team of UT Southwestern and MD Anderson scientists to discover all of the “acquired vulnerabilities” in lung cancer and their associated predictive molecular signatures to provide a new functional classification of lung cancer and rationale therapeutics for all new lung cancer patients.

Dr. Minna has served on the scientific advisory boards for several cancer centers ­and cancer research foundations, including the V Foundation and the NCI. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors for the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Currently, he is on the external advisory boards of the cancer centers at UC San Diego and the University of California, Los Angeles.

He has earned numerous awards, including the United Against Lung Cancer Caine Halter Hope Now Award for Lung Cancer Research in 2013, the Giants of Cancer Care award in 2015, and the Abbott ISOBM Award in 2016.

Education & Training
  • Fellowship - National Institutes of Health (1969-1973), Biochemical Genetics
  • Residency - Massachusetts General Hospital (1968-1969), Medicine
  • Internship - Massachusetts General Hospital (1967-1968), Medicine
  • Medical School - Stanford University Medical Center (1963-1967)
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • American College of Physicians (Fellow)
  • American Federation for Clinical Research
  • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • American Society of Hematology
  • American Thoracic Society
  • Association of American Physicians
  • International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
Honors & Awards
  • Abbott ISOBM Award 2016
  • Giants of Cancer Care 2015
  • Caine Halter Hope Now Award for Lung Cancer Research 2013, United Against Lung Cancer
  • Asclepios Award 2012, Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
  • Helis Foundation Award for Lifetime Achievement in Lung Cancer Research 2010, Baylor College of Medicine
  • ASCO Statesman Award 2007
  • Pfizer Visiting Professor Oncology 2006, Vanderbilt
  • ASCO Award 2005, Lifetime Scientific Achievement
  • Ochsner Award 2004, Award for Smoking Related Research
  • NCI SPORE Program Award for Leadership 2003
  • Moran Award 2000, University of Michigan
  • Bristol Myers Squibb Award 1997, Award for Lung Cancer Research
  • Chester Stock Award 1992, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Award for Scientific Excellence in Clinical Research 1989, Milken Foundation
  • Rosenthal Prize 1984, Prize for Cancer Research
  • Unit Commendation Medal 1991
  • Meritorious Service Medical 1986
  • PHS Commendation Medal 1979
Books & Publications
Research
  • Molecular Pathogenesis of Human Cancer
  • Molecular Biomarkers of Response to Cancer Therapy
  • Lung Cancer
  • Genome-Wide mRNA, Protein, and DNA Analysis
  • Breast Cancer

Clinical Focus

  • Lung Cancer

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