How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.

In this episode, Dr Camidge sat down with Funda Meric-Bernstam, MD, the department chair and Endowed Nellie B. Connally Chair in Breast Cancer, in the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, medical director of the Khalifa Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, and a professor of breast surgical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; as well as a regular member of Cancer Biology at the University of Texas Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Drs Camidge and Meric-Bernstam discussed Dr Meric-Bernstam's evolution from a science-focused student into a leader in precision oncology and early-phase drug development. Dr Meric-Bernstam was raised in a hybrid fashion between the US and Turkey, attending a science-focused boarding school before beginning medical school in Turkey and ultimately restarting her medical education at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Drawn to both the immediacy of surgery and the questions of basic science, she pursued a surgical residency with built-in research time, spending 2 years at the National Institute of Health studying translational regulation, an experience she credited with making her fearless in tackling the unfamiliar.

In this discussion, Dr Meric-Bernstam offered a candid look at building a career without a clear roadmap. She emphasized that clinician-investigators must work hard, arguing that a meaningful clinical presence sharpens translational research by revealing patients' true unmet needs. Her work spanning cell signaling, mTOR biology, window-of-opportunity trials, and genomic testing led her to direct MD Anderson's personalized cancer therapy efforts and grow its phase 1 program.

Beyond administration, Meric-Bernstam reflected on lessons from the lab, including a year of lost data that taught her to scrutinize primary results at every step, and her conviction in patient-derived models and co-clinical trials. Ultimately, Dr Meric-Bernstam described a transformational moment in oncology, where AI, comprehensive profiling, and newly druggable targets will reshape combination therapy. She concluded by reaffirming her mission to improve cancer outcomes, calling it the best job in the world.

How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.

In this episode, Dr Camidge sat down with Mary (Nora) L. Disis, MD, a professor in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; as well as a professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, an adjunct professor of pathology in obstetrics and gynecology, holder of the Helen B. Slonaker Endowed Professorship for Cancer Research, director of the Cancer Vaccine Institute, and associate dean for Translational Health Science at the School of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Drs Camidge and Disis discussed Dr Disis’s evolution from a science-focused student to a global leader in cancer immunology. Raised in a family that prioritized education, Disis found her passion for chemistry as a young adult before pursuing an MD and a master’s degree. Although deeply drawn to practicing medicine in rural communities, she ultimately chose to focus on the field of tumor immunology.

In the discussion, Disis offered a candid look at the strategic discipline required to succeed as a clinician-scientist. She emphasized the importance of protecting research time and refusing to let clinical duties overshadow her lab work. Her pioneering research involved identifying HER2 as a tumor antigen and developing vaccines that demonstrated significant long-term survival through intermolecular epitope spreading.

Beyond the lab, Disis highlighted how her editorial roles allow her to observe scientific trends and maintain a broad understanding of the clinical landscape. Ultimately, Disis emphasized that the path to cancer prevention and vaccine licensing requires finance, focus, fortitude, and fearlessness. Having witnessed immunotherapy become a standard of care, she remains dedicated to climbing the mountain of vaccine development. By sifting through scientific “buzz” and maintaining deep focus, Disis believes the next frontier of cancer research lies in immunizing individuals to prevent cancer from ever developing.

How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.

In this episode, guest host Erin Schenk, MD, PhD, at the University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology, sat down with D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, to highlight Dr Camidge's storied career and life. Driven by a relentless curiosity that often manifested in him "interrogating" those around him, Camidge chose a career in medicine because of the immediate effect he saw it could have on people's lives.

His path included a formative gap year working at McDonald's and serving as a caregiver for a man with cerebral palsy. After studying at Oxford, he faced a significant professional and personal low when pursuing his PhD at Cambridge. Struggling with a difficult project, he persevered by pivoting his research and finding resilience through peers, eventually returning to practicing clinical medicine and finding his calling in oncology due to its unique overlap of molecular biology and opportunities for deep patient connection.

Seeking further opportunities, Dr Camidge moved to the United States to lead the lung cancer program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He became a pivotal figure in the development of targeted therapies, specifically crizotinib for ALK-positive lung cancer. Beyond drug development, he championed the use of molecular profiling and established a global remote second opinion program.

In 2022, Dr Camidge’s perspective shifted profoundly following his own lung cancer diagnosis. This experience forced him to evolve from a "questioning machine" into someone more amenable to accepting love and support. He now integrates this dual perspective into his work, emphasizing that oncology must go beyond science to address the human experience of treating real people.