John Mendelsohn, MD, Oral History Interview, 2005
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Description
Major Topics Covered:
- Personal and educational background
- Research: evolution of research; monoclonal antibodies
- MD Anderson research; building the basic sciences; South Campus and the research institutes; building collaborative culture and translational research; where research is going
- Multi-disciplinary care: history of; culture of at MD Anderson
- Complementary medicine and prevention
Interview Chapters
Chapter 01: A Strong Jewish Family and a Love of Sports
Chapter 02: A Research Path Starts with James Watson at Harvard
Chapter 03: On Faculty at UCSD: Leadership, Mentoring, and a Philosophy of Character
Chapter 05: Complementary Medicine at MD Anderson
Chapter 06: South Campus and New Research Initiatives to Drive Patient-Relevant Science
Chapter 07: Entering Medicine at a Key Time in Research and Finding a Great Fit at MD Anderson
Chapter 08: The History and Philosophy of Multi-Disciplinary Care at MD Anderson
Chapter 09: New Lines of Research and Building a New Program at UCSD
Chapter 10: Organizing Multi-Disciplinary Research on South Campus
Chapter 11: Clinical and Research Pioneers and a New Model of Collaborative Science
Chapter 12: Building the Basic Sciences and Research Collaborations
Identifier
MendelsohnJ_01_20050103
Publication Date
1-3-2005
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Topics Covered
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas System. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute
Disciplines
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Oncology | Oral History
Recommended Citation
Mendelsohn, John MD; Olson, James S. PhD; and Brunet, Lesley W., "John Mendelsohn, MD, Oral History Interview, 2005" (2005). Interview Sessions. 278.
https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mchv_interviewsessions/278
Conditions Governing Access
Redacted
About the Interview
Abstract
Dr. Mendelsohn talks with James S. Olson and Lesley Brunet regarding the numerous influences and career decisions which led to his decision to study the field of oncology. His career path leading to his appointment of president of M.D. Anderson is also recounted. His ideas and beliefs regarding cancer prevention and treatment, patient care, and the future of oncology are discussed as well. Several of Dr. Mendelsohn’s major accomplishments regarding cancer-related research are highlighted including his work with signal transduction and molecular biology. The interview also covers the growth and expansion of M.D. Anderson under Dr. Mendelsohn’s visionary leadership and direction. A discussion concerning the development of biotechnology in theHoustonarea ends the interview. The significant role his wife, Anne Mendelsohn, plays in impacting his professional life is also shared.
About the Interview Subject
Dr. John Mendelsohn, MD (b. 31 August 1936, Cincinnati, Ohio) came to MD Anderson from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 1996 to become the institution’s third full-time president. Dr. Mendelsohn’s research focused on epidermal growth factors, resulting in the discovery of the monoclonal antibody, Cetuximab, that blocked tumor growth. During his fifteen years as president, he was responsible for overseeing unprecedented growth of all dimensions of the institution. He stepped down as president in 2011. He continued to serve MD Anderson as a Professor of Experimental Therapeutics and Director of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy. He died on January 7, 2019.