Dean W. Felsher

Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of Pathology

Academic Appointments

Professor, Medicine - Oncology
Professor, Pathology
Member, Bio-X
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
Faculty Fellow, Sarafan ChEM-H
Member, Stanford Cancer Institute
Member, Stanford Cancer Institute

Administrative Appointments

Director of Translational Research and Applied Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine (2011 - Present)
Co-Director Cancer Nanotechnology Program, Department of Radiology, Stanford School of Medicine (2016 - Present)
Director of Admissions/Associate Director, Medical Scientist Training Program (2017 - Present)
Director of Advanced Residency Training Program, Stanford University School of Medicine (2018 - Present)
Co-Director of Spectrum KL2 Mentored Development Program, Stanford University, School of Medicine (2019 - Present)

Honors & Awards

Elected Member, Association of American Physicians (2011)
Translational Research Award, Burroughs Wellcome Trust (2005-2011)
Elected Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation (2005)
Clinical Investigator Award, Damon Runyon Foundation (2003-2008)
Charles Carrington Prize, Stanford University (2002)
Esther Ehrman Faculty Scholar Award, Stanford University (2000-2003)
Physician Post-Doctoral Award, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1997-1999)
Emil Bogen Award, University of California, Los Angeles (1992)
Honors, University of Chicago (1985)

Professional Education

BA, University of Chicago (1985)
MD PhD, UCLA, Medicine/Molecular Biology (1992)

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

My laboratory studies how oncogenes such as MYC initiate and maintain cancer. In particular we have shown that shutting down oncogenes even for a brief time can reverse cancer or elicit "Oncogene Addiction"

For a recent review of our work please see: The MYC oncogene - the grand orchestrator of cancer growth and immune evasion Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2022

Examples of project in my laboraory:

We are studying basic mechanisms of Oncogene Addiction: the role of Self-renewal/Stemness, Metabolism, Host Immune System, Protein
Biogenesis, Microbiome, Extracellular Vesicles.

We are developing novel therapeutics using small molecules, nanoparticles, proteins/peptides that can be used to target oncogenes and/or restore the immune response against cancer.

We are developing new diagnostic and imaging methods such as PET, Mass Spec, Nanoproteomics.

Clinical Trials

Phase 2 Study of Atorvastatin Safety and Antitumor Effects in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Not Recruiting
More
This is an approach which can inflict significant toxicity. An alternative is to block expression of oncogenes which are over-expressed only in cancer cells, a therapeutic approach which could reduce toxicity to the host while maximizing destruction of the oncogene-dependent malignant cells.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Alice Fan, 650-736-1285.
Lead Sponsor
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Antibiotic Therapy With or Without G-CSF in Treating Children With Neutropenia and Fever Caused by Chemotherapy Not Recruiting
More
RATIONALE: Antibiotics may decrease the side effects of neutropenia and fever caused by chemotherapy. Colony-stimulating factors such as G-CSF may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help a person's immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. It is not yet known whether antibiotic therapy plus G-CSF is more effective than antibiotic therapy alone for treating side effects caused by chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy with or without G-CSF in treating children who have neutropenia and fever that are caused by chemotherapy.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact SPECTRUM, .
Lead Sponsor
Stanford Investigators
- Dean W. Felsher
View full details
Molecular Analysis of Thoracic Malignancies Recruiting
More
A research study to learn about the biologic features of cancer development, growth, and spread. We are studying components of blood, tumor tissue, normal tissue, and other fluids, such as urine, cerebrospinal fluid, abdominal or chest fluid in patients with cancer. Our analyses of blood, tissue, and/or fluids may lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of cancer by the identification of markers that predict clinical outcome, markers that predict response to specific therapies, and the identification of targets for new therapies.

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
View full details
Perfusion CT Monitoring to Predict Treatment Efficacy in Renal Cell Carcinoma Not Recruiting
More
This pilot clinical trial studies perfusion computed tomography (CT) in predicting response to treatment in patients with advanced kidney cancer. Comparing results of diagnostic procedures done before, during, and after targeted therapy may help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and help plan the best treatment.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Yoriko Imae, 650-498-5186.

Lead Sponsor
- Stanford University
Stanford Investigators
View full details

Graduate and Fellowship Programs

All Publications

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