Roy Herbst, MD, PhD
Dr. Roy Herbst is an internationally recognized clinician-scientist who has dedicated himself to thoracic cancer treatment and research. He is a leader in the treatment of lung cancer and is renowned for his work in developmental therapeutics and personalized therapies that link the individual patient’s genetic profile to the treatment offered.[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Herbst began his career by earning a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree at Yale University. He then moved on to earn his medical degree at Cornell University Medical College and his Ph.D. in molecular cell biology at The Rockefeller University in New York City.
After completing these programs, he moved on to an internship and residency in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, clinical fellowships in medicine and hematology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and another M.S. degree in clinical translational research at Harvard University.
Dr. Herbst recently held several roles as a medical oncologist at the Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center: Ensign Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Professor of Pharmacology; Deputy Director of the Yale Cancer Center; Chief of Medical Oncology at the Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital; Assistant Dean for Translational Research at the Yale School of Medicine; and Director of the Center for Thoracic Cancers at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.[1]
Dr. Herbst is now the newly appointed Director of the Dartmouth Cancer Center, where he plans to strengthen cancer research, education, and collaboration. He is experiencd in leading clinical and research programs.[2]
Dr. Herbst is recognized internationally for his pioneering work in immunotherapy and personalized medicine in the treatment of lung cancer.
His primary focus is the integration of clinical, laboratory, and research programs, and he has been a pioneer in the use of immunotherapy. Dr. Herbst has been instrumental in the approval of several groundbreaking therapies that have revolutionized cancer care.
Memberships and Honors
Dr. Herbst is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a member of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), where he serves as Chair of the AACR Scientific Policy and Government Affairs Committee.
He’s been active in the promotion of tobacco control and regulation (including e-cigarettes) and has led frequent Capitol Hill briefings. In 2019, he was elected to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) board of directors.
He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and an elected member of the Association of American Physicians. He is also vice chair of the Southwestern Oncology Group’s (SWOG) Lung Committee.
Research
Dr. Herbst’s work in translational medicine has made him a voice of authority for decades. He recently authored a review of the 20-year progress in lung cancer and has authored or co-authored more than 350 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters.
His decades of research have included epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors and other novel therapies used for personalized cancer treatment. He was also a co-principal investigator for the BATTLE trial, which helped match patient biomarkers with targeted molecular therapies.
His work has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, The Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine. His work, published in Nature, was awarded the 2015 Herbert Pardes Clinical Research Excellence Award by the Clinical Research Forum.
His abstracts have been presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the World Conference on Lung Cancer, the Society of Nuclear Medicine Conference, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer.[1]
