Ken Westover, M.D., Ph.D.

Ken Westover, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief of Lung Radiation Oncology Service, Director of Clinical Innovation and Information Systems

  • Radiation Oncology
  • Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer
  • Chest Cancers

Biography

Kenneth Westover, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is Chief of Lung Radiation Oncology Service and Director of Clinical Innovation and Information Systems for the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Westover specializes in treating lung cancer with radiation therapy.

Dr. Westover graduated with honors from Brigham Young University, with a B.S. in biochemistry. He subsequently completed M.D. and Ph.D. degrees through the Stanford University Medical Scientist Training Program. Westover completed his residency in radiation oncology at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program.

Certified by the American Board of Radiology, Dr. Westover joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2012.

Dr. Westover's clinical expertise encompasses lung cancer and adaptive radiation therapy. He specializes in advanced treatment techniques, particularly stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) – also known as stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR). While at Harvard, he was the first to publish clinical results demonstrating the effectiveness of proton-based SBRT for early-stage lung cancer patients with poor pulmonary function. He has continued this pioneering work using PULSAR© technology. He also contributed to early clinical studies of SCINTIX, which supported its FDA approval.

An additional dimension of Dr. Westover's clinical work is the development of software to improve patient care quality. He has designed and developed numerous software solutions, including key interfaces currently used in Radiation Oncology and Simmons Cancer Center. Dr. Westover currently serves as EHR Committee Chair for Radiation Oncology and on the Simmons Cancer Center Oncology EHR Governance Committee.

Dr. Westover's academic work has been published in numerous clinical and high-profile basic science journals including Science, Cell, Cancer Discovery, PNAS, and JAMA Oncology. He has also authored book chapters on radiation therapy. His scientific work illuminated gene transcription mechanisms and was cited in the 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to his Ph.D. advisor Roger Kornberg, Ph.D.

In the laboratory, Dr. Westover focuses on understanding cancer's molecular drivers and designing targeted therapeutics. His research has contributed to the development of two FDA-approved drugs for treating KRAS G12C-driven cancers. Dr. Westover also investigates novel combinations of radiation therapy and targeted drugs.

"My mission is to advance cancer treatment through every available avenue – from fundamental research to clinical innovation and exceptional patient care," says Dr. Westover. "I'm privileged to work alongside highly skilled teams that are making meaningful differences in cancer patients' lives."

Education & Training
  • Residency - Harvard/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital (2008-2012), Radiation Oncology
  • Internship - Harvard/Brigham and Women's Hospital (2007-2008), Internal Medicine
  • Medical School - Stanford University School of Medicine (1999-2007)
  • Other Post Graduate Training - Stanford University
  • Graduate School - Stanford University, Medical Scientist Training Program
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • American College of Radiology
  • American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology
Honors & Awards
  • CPRIT Scholar 2012-2016
  • V Scholar 2014-2016
Books & Publications
Research
  • Use of technology to improve cancer care
  • Structural biology
  • Stereotactic radiation therapy
  • RAS biology and inhibitor development
  • Kinase biology and inhibitor development
  • Cancer therapeutics
  • Cancer imaging

Clinical Focus

  • Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer
  • Chest Cancers
  • Brain Metastases
  • Pulmonary/Lung-Chest Wall-Mediastinal-Pleural Nodules
  • Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer

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