Charles Sawyers

Dr. Charles Sawyers is Chair of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He holds a professorship at Weill Cornell Medicine and has made groundbreaking contributions to cancer research, particularly in targeted therapies for leukemia and prostate cancer.

His research focuses on understanding cancer's molecular mechanisms and developing precision treatments. Key interests include:

• Targeted cancer therapies and drug resistance mechanisms
• Molecular pathways in leukemia and prostate cancer
• Development of novel therapeutic approaches for treatment-resistant cancers
• Genomic and epigenetic drivers of cancer progression
• Translational research bridging laboratory discoveries to clinical applications

Dr. Sawyers' publication record demonstrates leadership in overcoming treatment resistance, with significant contributions to understanding how cancers evolve resistance to therapies and developing strategies to counter these mechanisms. His work has directly impacted clinical practice in oncology.

Major honors include:

• Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2013)
• Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award (2013)
• AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence (2012)
• American Society of Hematology E. Donnall Thomas Prize (2010)

As a mentor and research leader, Dr. Sawyers has trained numerous scientists who now lead their own laboratories. His program at MSKCC integrates basic science with clinical oncology to accelerate the development of more effective cancer treatments through collaborative team science.