Timothy A. Yap – Candidate for Board of Directors of AACR

The voting for the 2025 AACR Annual Election is now open, where members will vote for the next President-Elect, Treasurer, five Board Members, and four members of the Nominating Committee.

This year, Timothy A. Yap, MD, PhD is a candidate for the Board of Directors of AACR.

Timothy A. Yap is a leading expert in cancer therapeutics and currently serves as the Head of Clinical Development and Vice President of the Therapeutics Discovery Division at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He is also a professor in both the Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Program) and the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, within the Division of Cancer Medicine.

Additionally, Dr. Yap holds the position of Associate Director of Translational Research at the Khalifa Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy at MD Anderson.

Prior to his current role, he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at MD Anderson from 2016 to 2023, contributing to cutting-edge research and clinical trials focused on novel cancer therapies.

Dr. Timothy A. Yap’s research interests focus on advancing cancer therapeutics through translational and clinical research.

He is particularly dedicated to exploring first-in-human trials and the combinatorial development of molecularly targeted agents alongside immunotherapies for thoracic and head/neck cancers. His work also includes investigating pharmacodynamic biomarkers and conducting reverse translational studies to optimize treatment strategies.

Dr. Yap is deeply involved in synthetic lethality approaches and is pioneering efforts to target the DNA damage response (DDR) with novel therapeutics.

Additionally, he is researching next-generation CDK inhibitors and innovative immunotherapies, aiming to improve patient outcomes through cutting-edge treatments.

Dr. Timothy A. Yap has made significant contributions to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) through a variety of leadership roles and committee appointments.

In 2025, he will begin his term as the incoming editor-in-chief of Clinical Cancer Research.

He is also the Codirector of the AACR/ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop from 2025 to 2027.

Currently, Dr. Yap serves as the cochair of the AACR Lung Cancer Task Force and chair of the Special Conferences Committee, both of which are vital for shaping cancer research initiatives.

His leadership extends to his role as the scientific committee cochair for the AACR-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Conference (2023-2024) and chair of the AACR Industry Roundtable (2023).

He has been an active member of several key committees, including the AACR Clinical Trials Advisory Council, the AACR Cancer Progress Report Steering Committee, and the AACR Precision Combination Therapy Task Force.

Additionally, Dr. Yap is a scientific editor for Cancer Discovery and has participated in various AACR review committees and annual meeting roles, reflecting his ongoing commitment to advancing cancer research and clinical innovation.

Education

Dr. Timothy A. Yap holds a BS in Immunology and Infectious Disease (2000) and an MBBS (Doctor of Medicine, 2002) from Imperial College London.

He completed his PhD in Molecular Pharmacology at The Institute of Cancer Research in London.

His postdoctoral training includes internships in general surgery at Northwick Park and St. Marks Hospitals, and internal medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital, both in London.

He also completed his residency in internal medicine at Oxford University Hospitals, followed by medical oncology training at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research, where he also held a PhD research fellowship in molecular pharmacology.

Awards and Honors

• Honoree, Faculty Honoree for Research Excellence (2024).
• DoCM PI with Fastest Trial Activation Times at MD Anderson (2022, 2021).
• Honoree, DoCM PI with Highest Accrual to NCI ETCTN Trials (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020).
• Recipient, Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award (2011).
• Recipient, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Annual Michaele Christian Oncology Development Award and Lectureship (2019).
• Recipient, Huggett Memorial Prize, Imperial College, London (2000).

Interviews with Timothy A. Yap

Timothy A Yap, AACR 2018 – Advances in Precision Cancer Medicine – Touch Medical Media (1st May, 2018)

Dr. Timothy Yap Reiterates the Unmet Medical Need for Molecularly Targeted Agents in Solid Tumors – AJMCtv (20th October, 2020)