Dr. David B. Agus is the founding director and CEO of the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine and a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering. He is one of the world’s leading physicians and the cofounder of several pioneering personalized medicine companies. Over the past twenty-five years he’s received acclaim for his innovations in medicine and contributions to new technologies and therapeutics that change how all of us maintain optimal health and treat cancer. As a contributor to CBS News, he comments on important health topics regularly on television. Dr. Agus specializes in treating patients with advanced cancer. His clinical responsibilities include the development of clinical trials for new drugs and treatments for cancer, supported by the National Cancer Institute and other private foundations (he has no financial ties to drug companies). He serves in leadership roles at the World Economic Forum, among other prestigious organizations. After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, he completed his medical residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, and an Oncology fellowship at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a 2017 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
David B. Agus, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Engineering | Founding Director | Chief Executive Officer
310 272 7650
Research Focus
Molecular Targeted Therapy of Cancer
Personalized Medicine
Physical Sciences in Oncology
Use of Genomic Profiling to Improve Cancer Care
Use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cancer Care
Personalized Medicine
Physical Sciences in Oncology
Use of Genomic Profiling to Improve Cancer Care
Use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cancer Care
Awards
Ellis Island Medal of Honor, 2017
Fellow, American College of Physicians, 2016
USC Association of Trojan Leagues Outstanding Service Annual Award, 2013
British Medical Association Commendation, Popular Medicine Book, 2012
Biotech Humanitarian Award: Selected Judge, 2009
Geoffrey Beene Foundation/GQ Magazine Rock Star of Science AwardTM, 2009
HealthNetwork Foundation Excellence Award, 2008
CaP CURE Young Investigator Award, 1998-2001
Clinical Scholar of the Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1996
American Cancer Society Clinical Oncology Fellowship Award, 1994
Books
The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.
Agus M.D., David B.
A Short Guide to a Long Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.
Agus M.D., David B.
The End of Illness. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.
Agus M.D., David B.
David B. Agus, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Engineering | Founding Director | Chief Executive Officer
310 272 7650
Dr. David B. Agus is the founding director and CEO of the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine and a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering. He is one of the world’s leading physicians and the cofounder of several pioneering personalized medicine companies. Over the past twenty-five years he’s received acclaim for his innovations in medicine and contributions to new technologies and therapeutics that change how all of us maintain optimal health and treat cancer. As a contributor to CBS News, he comments on important health topics regularly on television. Dr. Agus specializes in treating patients with advanced cancer. His clinical responsibilities include the development of clinical trials for new drugs and treatments for cancer, supported by the National Cancer Institute and other private foundations (he has no financial ties to drug companies). He serves in leadership roles at the World Economic Forum, among other prestigious organizations. After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, he completed his medical residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, and an Oncology fellowship at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a 2017 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Research Focus
Molecular Targeted Therapy of Cancer
Personalized Medicine
Physical Sciences in Oncology
Use of Genomic Profiling to Improve Cancer Care
Use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cancer Care
ORCiD
Personalized Medicine
Physical Sciences in Oncology
Use of Genomic Profiling to Improve Cancer Care
Use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cancer Care
ORCiD
Education
BA
1987 Molecular Biology – Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Md
1992 Medicine – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Internship
1992-1993 – John Hopkins Hospital (Osler Intern in International Medicine), Baltimore, MD
Residency
1993-1994 – John Hopkins Hospital (Osler Resident in Internal Medicine), Baltimore, MD
Fellowship
1994-1996 – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Fellow-Medical Oncology), New York, NY
1996-1997 – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Special Fellow-Medical Oncology), New York, NY
Awards
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor, 2017
- Fellow, American College of Physicians, 2016
- USC Association of Trojan Leagues Outstanding Service Annual Award, 2013
- British Medical Association Commendation, Popular Medicine Book, 2012
- Biotech Humanitarian Award: Selected Judge, 2009
- Geoffrey Beene Foundation/GQ Magazine Rock Star of Science AwardTM, 2009
- HealthNetwork Foundation Excellence Award, 2008
- CaP CURE Young Investigator Award, 1998-2001
- Clinical Scholar of the Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1996
- American Cancer Society Clinical Oncology Fellowship Award, 1994
Leadership Positions
- Trustee, Global Challenge Initiative on The Future of Health, World Economic Forum
- Osler Housestaff Advisory Board, Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine
- Biden Cancer Initiative, Founding Board of Directors
- Contributor, CBS News
- Co-chair, Fortune Brainstorm Health
- Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, Board of Directors
Books
The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.
Agus M.D., David B.
A Short Guide to a Long Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.
Agus M.D., David B.
The End of Illness. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.
Agus M.D., David B.
Prominent Publications
Agus DB, Akita RW, Fox WD, Lewis GD, Higgins B, Pisacane PI, Lofgren JA, Tindell C, Evans DP, Maiese K, Scher HI, Sliwkowski MX. Targeting ligand-activated ErbB2 signaling inhibits breast and prostate tumor growth. Cancer Cell. 2002 Aug; 2(2):127-37. View in: PubMed
Hedvat M, Jain A, Carson DA, Leoni LM, Huang G, Holden S, Lu D, Corr M, Fox W, Agus DB. Inhibition of HER-kinase activation prevents ERK-mediated degradation of PPARgamma. Cancer Cell. 2004 Jun; 5(6):565-74. View in: PubMed
Agus DB, Sweeney CJ, Morris MJ, Mendelson DS, McNeel DG, Ahmann FR, Wang J, Derynck MK, Ng K, Lyons B, Allison DE, Kattan MW, Scher HI. Efficacy and safety of single-agent pertuzumab (rhuMAb 2C4), a human epidermal growth factor receptor dimerization inhibitor, in castration-resistant prostate cancer after progression from taxane-based therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Feb 20; 25(6):675-81. View in: PubMed
Agus DB, Gell-Mann M. Perspective: Meeting of minds. Nature. 2012 Nov 22; 491(7425):S61. View in: PubMed
Agus DB, Michor F (2012) The sciences converge to fight cancer. Nature Physics 8(11): 773-774. View here
Agus DB: The End of Illness (2012) Simon & Schuster (Free Press), New York, NY.
Agus DB: A Short Guide to a Long Life (2014) Simon & Schuster, New York, NY.
Agus DB: The Lucky Years: how to thrive in the brave new world of health (2016) Simon & Schuster, New York, NY.
Agus DB: The End of Illness (2012) Simon & Schuster (Free Press), New York, NY.
Agus DB: A Short Guide to a Long Life (2014) Simon & Schuster, New York, NY.
Agus DB: The Lucky Years: how to thrive in the brave new world of health (2016) Simon & Schuster, New York, NY.
Agus DB, Gaudette É, Goldman DP, Messali A. The Long-Term Benefits of Increased Aspirin Use by At-Risk Americans Aged 50 and Older. PLoS One. 2016 Nov 30;11(11).View in: PubMed
Rawat RR, Ruderman D, Macklin P, Rimm DL, Agus DB. Correlating nuclear morphometric patterns with estrogen receptor status in breast cancer pathologic specimens. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2018 Sep 4;4:32. View in: PubMed