Ken Westover

Ken Westover, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he serves as Chief of the Lung Radiation Oncology Service, Director of Clinical Innovation and Information Systems in the Department of Radiation Oncology, and co-director of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center thoracic disease-oriented team. His roles integrate clinical leadership, software development for healthcare systems, and translational research in cancer biology.

• Ph.D. and M.D. from Stanford University
• Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from Brigham Young University
• Radiation Oncology residency at Harvard Radiation Oncology Program

Dr. Westover’s research focuses on RAS and kinase protein inhibition in cancer therapy, with pioneering work on allele-specific targeting of KRAS G12C mutants that led to FDA-approved drugs like sotorasib and adagrasib. His lab explores:

• Structural biology of RAS proteins (G12C, G13D, A146T, codon 61 mutants)
• Enzymology and informatics for drug discovery
• Mechanisms of tumor response to adaptive radiation technologies
• Clinical applications of MRI-guided and SAbR radiotherapy for lung cancer
• Integration of biochemistry, structural modeling, and clinical data

His clinical innovation initiatives include:

• Development of RO-PAD exam room management system
• Implementation of EPIC EMR interfaces for radiation oncology
• Clinical tools for wait time optimization and chart rounds automation

Publications reveal a 2025-2023 focus on:

• Lung cancer adaptive radiotherapy technologies
• Next-generation RAS inhibitors and resistance mechanisms
• Ultrasound-based molecular imaging applications
• Translational research bridging structural biology with clinical outcomes

He leads the Westover Lab at UTSW, which applies protein chemistry and cell biology methods to develop targeted cancer therapies while maintaining active clinical practice in thoracic radiation oncology.