David Johnson

Dr. Johnson is the Donald W. Seldin Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas Texas. He is a member of the ABIM Board of Directors and serves as the Chair of the ABIM Subspecialty Board for Medical Oncology. From 1983 until 2010 Dr. Johnson was a member of the faculty at the Vanderbilt University Medical School where he held the Cornelius A. Craig Chair of Medical & Surgical Oncology and served as the Director of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Deputy Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Dr. Johnson's research interests involve the study of the biology of lung cancer and improving the treatment of this and other solid tumors. He played a key role in the development of the new targeted drugs bevacizumab (Avastin®) and erlotinib (Tarceva®) both of which are now FDA-approved for the treatment of lung cancer. He has authored over 330 peer reviewed articles, 40 book chapters and edited four oncology textbooks. In 2004-2005, Dr. Johnson served as President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) during which time he helped advance ASCO's quality of care activity known as the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (or QOPI®). QOPI® was subsequently adopted as a Practice Improvement Module for diplomates seeking to maintain their certification in medical oncology. He was instrumental in establishing ASCO's Cancer Survivorship Program. Dr. Johnson also has served on the Food and Drug Administration's Oncology Drug Advisory Committee, as chairman of the Thoracic Committee of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and on the Board of Directors of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and LIVESTRONG. Dr. Johnson earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and obtained his medical oncology training at Vanderbilt University. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.