Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., elected to National Academy of Medicine
Physician-scientist recognized for breakthroughs in ADCs and personalized cancer therapy trials
MD Anderson News Release October 21, 2024
Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., chair of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) for her contributions to precision oncology, therapeutics development and biomarker discovery, and for leading practice-changing clinical trials.
The NAM, originally established as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, advises the nation on issues related to health, medicine, health policy and biomedical sciences. Each year, members are elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. It is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.
“This is a very exciting time in oncology with many new therapies we can offer our patients and new tools to be able to personalize these treatments,” Meric-Bernstam said. “It is such an honor to be acknowledged by the National Academy of Medicine. However, clinical and translational research is all about teamwork, and I would like to acknowledge my colleagues, as well as my clinical and lab research team members for their tireless efforts on behalf of our patients.”
Along with directing MD Anderson’s renowned Phase I program, Meric-Bernstam has made especially noteworthy contributions in the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs.) Her efforts in leading HER-2 targeted ADC clinical trials led to changes in National Comprehensive Cancer Network treatment guidelines and multiple Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals, including the first tumor-agnostic FDA approval for an ADC earlier this year.
“Dr. Meric-Bernstam has made breakthrough advances in new treatment approaches that have significantly improved outcomes for many cancer patients,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “Her efforts have benefited her own patients and have touched many more lives through her leadership of MD Anderson’s exceptional Phase I clinical trials program. We proudly congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.”
Meric-Bernstam’s contributions extend far beyond clinical trials. She has developed novel approaches to overcoming intrinsic and acquired resistance in targeted therapies and ADCs, as well as performed groundbreaking work in patient-derived cancer models. She has authored more than 600 peer-reviewed papers and received more than $23 million in research funding since joining MD Anderson as a fellow in 1998.
She also is the director of the Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, where she has led large-scale efforts for genomic testing within MD Anderson. She built a framework for rapid assessment of actionability of genomic alterations and developed a clinical trials alert system to help facilitate patient accrual to genotype-selected trials across the institution. Her work in this area has expedited and improved the process of identifying, matching and enrolling patients in clinical trials, and it has led national trial efforts in precision oncology.
She joins 12 additional MD Anderson clinicians and scientists in the NAM, including current members Jim Allison, Ph.D., Ronald DePinho, M.D., Maura Gillison, M.D., Ph.D., Ellen Gritz, Ph.D., Guillermina Lozano, Ph.D., David Piwnica-Worms, M.D., Ph.D., Helen Piwnica-Worms, Ph.D., Jennifer Wargo, M.D., and Anil Sood, M.D. Former members, now deceased, include Waun Ki Hong, M.D., V. Craig Jordan, Ph.D., and John Mendelsohn, M.D.