Eric Bernicker

Eric Bernicker

Medical Oncologist

Тhoracic oncology

CommonSpirit Health

Location USA, Denver

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Dr. Eric H. Bernicker is a board-certified medical oncologist specializing in thoracic oncology, lung cancer immunotherapy, and biomarker-driven precision medicine. He currently serves as Medical Director of Medical Oncology at CommonSpirit Health (Mountain Region), where he leads efforts to expand access to clinical trials and advanced cancer therapies across urban and rural healthcare systems.
Dr. Bernicker has extensive experience in clinical trial leadership, translational oncology research, and molecular diagnostics. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials and has contributed to national lung cancer biomarker guidelines through his work with multidisciplinary expert panels.
His clinical and academic work focuses on immunotherapy combinations, molecular biomarker optimization, and expanding equitable access to precision oncology.

Current Position

  •   Medical Director, Medical Oncology, CommonSpirit Health – Mountain Region (2023–Present)
  •  Co-Chair, Medical Oncology Council, CommonSpirit Oncology Clinical Institute
  • Member, CommonSpirit Lung Cancer Council

Previous Leadership Roles

  •  Director, Thoracic Medical Oncology, Houston Methodist (2013–2023)
  • Director, Clinical Trials Office, Houston Methodist (2016–2020)
  • Associate Program Director, Oncology Fellowship Program
  • Chairman, Houston Methodist Cancer Committee (2016–2023)
  •  Member, Institutional Review Board

    Education

  •  BA, Yale University (1986)
  •  MD, Baylor College of Medicine (1990)

     Postgraduate Training

  •   Internship, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (1991)
  •  Residency, Baylor Affiliated Hospitals Program (1993)
  • Fellowship, Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center (1996)

    Areas of Clinical and Research Expertise

  •  Thoracic oncology
  •  Non-small cell lung cancer
  •  Immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors
  •  Biomarker-driven therapy
  •  Molecular diagnostics
  •  Uveal melanoma
  • Clinical trial development and oversight

Scientific Contributions

Lung Cancer & Immunotherapy

  • Principal Investigator of a Phase II clinical trial evaluating in situ oncolytic virus therapy combined with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) followed by pembrolizumab in metastatic non–small cell lung cancer.
  • Demonstrated potential clinical benefit in patients with disease progression after prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
  • Conducted research examining clinical outcomes and treatment tolerance of immune checkpoint inhibitors in elderly patients.

Biomarker Research

  • Published extensively on molecular biomarker testing in lung cancer.
  • Focused on adherence to NCCN molecular testing guidelines and identification of factors contributing to diagnostic delays.
  • Member of the CAP/IASLC/AMP expert panel responsible for developing national lung cancer biomarker guidelines.
  • Continues to contribute to ongoing guideline updates and revisions.

Uveal Melanoma

  • Contributed to multidisciplinary research evaluating clinical outcomes in uveal melanoma.
  • Editor of the textbook Uveal Melanoma: Biology and Management (Springer, 2021).

     Editorial and National Service

  •  Editorial Board Member, Journal of Thoracic Disease
  • Editorial Board Member, Cancer
  •  Section Editor, Precision Medicine, Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
  •  Chair, ASCO Climate Change Task Force (2022–2023)
  •  Member, IASLC and ASCO committees related to tobacco control, health equity, and cancer prevention