Derek Allison

Derek Allison, MD, is Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Vice-Chair for Research, Assistant Director of the Biospecimen Procurement & Translational Pathology Shared Resource, and Director of the Molecular Tumor Board at the Markey Cancer Center. His federally funded translational program bridges high-volume cytopathology service with multi-omic cancer metabolism, glycomics, and AI-driven predictive biomarkers.

Education & Training:

• BS Biochemistry, Lipscomb University (2010)
• MD, Georgetown University (2014)
• AP/CP Residency, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2018)
• Cytopathology Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2019)

Research Focus: Dr. Allison’s group uses spatial mass-spectrometry imaging, single-cell sequencing, and machine learning to decode metabolic heterogeneity in lung and prostate cancers. Major themes include glycogen and N-glycan drivers of tumor initiation, PLK1-mediated therapy resistance, and AI-powered pathology assays that predict response to intravesical BCG in high-risk bladder cancer.

Recent Publication Trends: From 2021-2025 he has >60 peer-reviewed articles centered on three intersecting tracks: (1) glycomics/glycogen biology in lung adenocarcinoma and pulmonary fibrosis, (2) PLK1 and kinase signaling in prostate and lung cancers, and (3) real-world validation of AI biomarkers in urothelial malignancies. His work consistently appears in high-impact journals such as Nature Metabolism, Nature Communications, Cell Reports Medicine, and Cancer Cytopathology.

Leadership & Service: He directs the Molecular Tumor Board at Markey Cancer Center, leads the BPTP biobank, and serves on multiple NCI-funded consortia for precision oncology. He mentors pathology residents, graduate students, and clinical fellows in projects spanning interventional cytopathology to computational metabolomics.