Academic History

Eric Jonasch, MD, is Professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. He completed his Batchelor’s degree in Biochemistry and MDCM degree at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Dr Jonasch subsequently completed his Clinical Residency in Internal Medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada, two Research Fellowships at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, and a Clinical Fellowship at the latter institution.

In addition to his role as Professor, he is fellowship program director in genitourinary medical oncology at MD Anderson, director of the von Hippel Lindau (VHL) Clinical Center in Houston, TX, and is chair of the International Kidney Cancer Coalition Board.

Speaking on advancements in kidney cancer research

Prof. Jonasch’s research focuses on advancing the treatment of kidney cancer, particularly renal cell carcinoma. His work combines translational and clinical research to better understand the molecular drivers of renal tumors, including alterations in the VHL/HIF pathway, and to develop biomarker-guided therapeutic strategies. He has led numerous clinical trials evaluating targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and novel combination regimens across both localized and advanced kidney cancer. In addition, Prof. Jonasch has a strong interest in hereditary kidney cancer syndromes, such as VHL disease, and in identifying mechanisms of treatment resistance to improve precision medicine approaches and long-term patient outcomes.