Mark Pegram, M.D
From High School to Med School
Associate Director for Clinical Research, Stanford Cancer Institute (2013 - Present)
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Co-Director, Translational Oncology Research Program @ Stanford (TOP@S), Stanford Cancer Institute (2013 - Present)
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Director, Stanford Breast Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute (2012 - Present)
How was High School for you?
“I was a very studious student in High School. I sought to keep my grades high and balance extracurricular activities at the same time. Outside of class I was a musician. I loved performing and playing in the band.”
What fueled your passion for medicine?
“I loved Chemistry in college. I was actually accepted to Cal Tech to complete a PhD in Chemistry. However, I wanted to apply what I learned into a more Biological/Body Systems way. I was also very interested in Cancer medicine and the processes involved in it. I then decided that medicine was right for me and I put my head down to pursue it. “
What did your undergraduate experience teach you?
“This was one of the things I loved about Chemistry. Chemistry taught you not to memorize formulas and equations but to understand how to solve problems. This, I believe was the most beneficial and meaningful lesson that could have been taught to me. I remember my Chemistry final asked a question but gave us the answer. We had to figure out how to arrive at the given answer. This meant we weren’t guessing or memorizing Chemical structures or Molecular Formulas, but we were applying our knowledge of Chemical reactions to solve the problem. I loved doing this as it taught how to approach problems and learn to solve problems when you don’t have the answer. ”
What advice do you have for aspiring Doctors?
“If I could give advice to you, it would be to find your passion and pursue it. Medicine is an extremely large field and there is a constant need for physicians. Do keep one thing in mind though, if you like sleep… this isn’t the profession for you!”
Dr. Pegram’s Publications:
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HER-2/neu as a predictive marker of response to breast cancer therapy
Pegram, M. D., Pauletti, G., & Slamon, D. J. (1998). HER-2/neu as a predictive marker of response to breast cancer therapy. BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT, 52(1-3), 65–77. -
Combination therapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and cisplatin for chemoresistant metastatic breast cancer: Evidence for receptor-enhanced chemosensitivity
Pegram, M. D., & Slamon, D. J. (1999). Combination therapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and cisplatin for chemoresistant metastatic breast cancer: Evidence for receptor-enhanced chemosensitivity. SEMINARS IN ONCOLOGY, 26(4), 89–95. -
Biologic effects of heregulin/neu differentiation factor on normal and malignant human breast and ovarian epithelial cells
Aguilar, Z., Akita, R. W., Finn, R. S., Ramos, B. L., Pegram, M. D., Kabbinavar, F. F., … Slamon, D. J. (1999). Biologic effects of heregulin/neu differentiation factor on normal and malignant human breast and ovarian epithelial cells. ONCOGENE, 18(44), 6050–6062.
Dr. Pegram’s Awards and Honors:
2012 Keynote Lecture, American Radium Society 94th Annual Meeting, American Radium Society (29 April 2012)
6th Annual Connie Moskow Memorial Lectureship, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University (11 May 2012)
Chair, Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Integration Panel, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, U.S. Army Research and Materiel Command (2012)
Dr. Pegram’s Education:
Fellowship: UCLA David Geffen School Of Medicine Registrar (1993) CA
Board Certification: Medical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine (1993)
Board Certification: Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine (1989)
Residency: Univ Of Texas Southwestern (1987) TX
Internship: Univ Of Texas Southwestern (1987) TX
Medical Education: University of North Carolina (1986) NC
Originally Published on March 28, 2019
