David MacPherson

David MacPherson, PhD, is a Professor in the Human Biology Division and the Public Health Sciences Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. He holds the Vinh Bui and Tram Le Endowed Chair for Lung Cancer and is a Member of the Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center (TDS IRC), focusing on translating cancer biology discoveries into targeted treatments for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Dr. MacPherson's educational background includes:

• PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2005)
• BSc (Honors) in Biology and Pharmacology from McMaster University (1998)

His research centers on SCLC's aggressive biology, employing mouse models, patient-derived xenografts, and genomic analyses to investigate genetic drivers, chemoresistance mechanisms, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. Key projects target tumor suppressors like CREBBP and MAX, develop preclinical models, and link mutations to therapeutic responses to enable precision oncology approaches.

Analysis of his 2018-2025 publications reveals a consistent focus on SCLC molecular pathogenesis, with increasing integration of CRISPR screens and genomic analyses to identify subtype-specific vulnerabilities. His work bridges fundamental discoveries (e.g., CREBBP/MAX tumor suppression) to translational applications (e.g., LSD1/KEAP1-targeted therapies), emphasizing mechanisms of exceptional treatment responses.

Dr. MacPherson has received notable recognition, including:

• Vinh Bui and Tram Le Endowed Chair for Lung Cancer

He leads a multidisciplinary team including basic scientists and clinician-scientists, supported by significant NIH funding including a U01 grant for CRISPR-based target identification. His lab generates patient-derived xenograft models and collaborates with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance clinicians to develop genotype-matched therapies.

The MacPherson Lab operates within Fred Hutch's collaborative ecosystem, leveraging the Translational Data Science IRC for computational oncology. Current initiatives focus on modeling chemoresistance evolution, dissecting immunosuppressive microenvironments, and developing combination therapies to overcome treatment resistance in SCLC.