Christopher J. Logothetis, MD

Christopher J. Logothetis, MD, has substantial experience both as an investigator in clinical and applied research and as a leader in multidisciplinary research programs. He holds the Roy M. and Phyllis Gough Huffington Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research in Urologic Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he is also a professor in the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology. He is director of both the Genitourinary Cancer Center and the Prostate Cancer Research Program, which have integrated more than 60 faculty members from 7 departments in clinical and basic research studies in prostate cancer. He is also the principal investigator of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Prostate Cancer SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence), a 5-year, multidisciplinary, collaborative grant funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

Dr Logothetis received his MD degree from the University of Athens in Greece, and he completed internship and residency training at Cook County Hospital (currently known as the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County) in Chicago. On completion of his fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, he joined the faculty. He served as chairman of the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1993 to 2019.

He has a longstanding interest in genitourinary cancers—germ cell tumors, bladder cancer, renal cancer, and, most recently in his career, prostate cancer. His research experience preceded the development of effective chemotherapy and extends to the current era of molecular targeted therapies and classification of cancer. He was among the first to test chemotherapy agents at a time of general skepticism that chemotherapy would be useful in advanced prostate cancer. 

Dr Logothetis has keen insight into the potential for change and the importance of collaborations among colleagues in academic medicine, community physicians, and patient support and advocacy communities. Further, he is a fervent proponent of improving the translational research environment to align clinical care with research goals. The David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, of which he is director, reflects the success achieved by thoughtful physician and scientist recruitments, productive intramural and extramural collaborations, the education and training of young investigators, and the development of critical common resources. 

On a national level, Dr Logothetis has been appointed to the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors and is a member of the External Advisory Committee for the NCI-sponsored project to characterize the human cancer genome.