Dr. David Kerr is a medical doctor, researcher, and Professor of Cancer Medicine specializing in oncology, with a primary focus on colorectal cancer and gene therapy. He is affiliated with the University of Oxford and Oxford Cancer Centre, and his work focuses on colorectal cancer care, adjuvant therapy, cancer research networks, gene therapy, and global cancer planning. He has received several major honors, including Commander of the Order of the British Empire, the European Society for Medical Oncology Award, the NHS Nye Bevan Award for Innovation, and the Distinguished Harvard Global Health Catalyst Award.
Current Position
- Professor of Cancer Medicine, University of Oxford
- Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist, Oxford Cancer Centre
- Co-Director, Oxford-Sichuan Gastrointestinal Cancer Centre
- Honorary Professor of Oncology, Sichuan University
- Honorary Professor of Oncology, University of Oslo
- Former Fellow, Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Education
- BSc in Biochemistry, University of Glasgow, 1977
- MBChB, University of Glasgow, 1980
- MD, University of Glasgow, 1987
- MSc, University of Glasgow, 1990
- PhD, University of Glasgow, 1990
- DSc, University of Glasgow, 1996
- MA, University of Oxford, 2002
Professional Experience
- Professor of Cancer Medicine, University of Oxford, from September 2001 to present
- Rhodes Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Cancer Therapeutics, University of Oxford
- Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Oxford
- Professor of Clinical Oncology, University of Birmingham, beginning in March 1992
- Director, Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham
- Worked with Professor Alan Rickinson to build the Institute of Cancer Studies in Birmingham
- Clinical Director, Regional Cancer Task Force for the West Midlands, appointed in 1994
- Developed a “hub and spoke” network model for cancer services in the West Midlands
- Undertook the first national audit of cancer waiting times for Sir Kenneth Calman
- Chaired the Cancer Services Collaborative from 1999 to 2003
- Worked with colleagues to build Institutes of Cancer Medicine in Birmingham and Oxford
- Reviewed NHS research strategy into cancer at the request of UK Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn
- Contributed to the blueprint that led to the establishment of the NHS Cancer Research Network and the National Translational Cancer Research Network
- Director, National Translational Cancer Research Network
- Chaired the National Framework Advisory Group on the future shape of the NHS in Scotland in 2004
- Completed the “Kerr Report,” a 20-year plan to reform Scotland’s NHS
- Chief Research Advisor, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar
- Member, Supreme Council of Health, appointed in April 2009
- Co-Chaired the Anglo-French Scientific Committee celebrating the centenary of the Entente Cordiale in 2004
- Former Editor, Annals of Oncology
- President, European Society for Medical Oncology, 2009–2011
- Established the first network of India’s top cancer centers through INDOX
- Organized the first African Cancer Reform Convention in London in 2007
- Formed AfrOx to support national cancer planning in Africa
- Completed a National Cancer Plan for Ghana
- Invited by the governments of Rwanda, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone to lead cancer plan activities
- Active in China and the Middle East
Research Activity
- Colorectal cancer treatment and management
- Adjuvant therapy for early-stage colorectal cancer
- Gene therapy
- Cancer clinical trials
- Cancer research networks
- Cancer service redesign
- Multidisciplinary cancer care
- Regional and national cancer treatment guidelines
- Global cancer planning and cancer control in Africa
- Cancer care development in India, China, and the Middle East
- Clinical cancer research infrastructure in the United Kingdom
- Chemotherapy research
Academic Impact
- Internationally recognized for contributions to colorectal cancer care and research
- Clinical research in adjuvant therapy for early-stage colorectal cancer has contributed to saving thousands of lives over two decades
- Published more than 350 papers in peer-reviewed journals
- Authored more than 20 books
- Holds several patents
- Founded biotech companies, including Celleron and Oxford Cancer Biomarkers
- Built two Institutes of Cancer Medicine in Birmingham and Oxford with colleagues
- Contributed to UK cancer research networks and cancer service redesign
- Trained many young Indian oncologists through the INDOX network
- Brought international attention to the cancer burden in Africa
- Served on editorial boards, including Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology
- Former Editor of Annals of Oncology
- Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
- Fellow of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences
Memberships / Honors / Awards
- Distinguished Harvard Global Health Catalyst Award, 2017
- Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2007
- European Society for Medical Oncology Award, 2006
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 2002
- NHS Nye Bevan Award for Innovation, 2000
- European School of Oncology International Award for outstanding contribution to chemotherapy research, 1987
- 2nd International Prize for Excellence in Colorectal Cancer Research and Treatment, 1999
- Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow, 1995
- Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, London, 1996
- Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences, 2000
- Elected Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences, 2001
- Founding Fellow, European Academy of Cancer Scientists, 2009
- Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, 2010
- President, European Society for Medical Oncology, 2009–2011
- President-Elect, European Society for Medical Oncology, 2009
Areas of Specialization
- Oncology
- Colorectal cancer
- Gastrointestinal cancer
- Gene therapy
- Adjuvant therapy in early-stage colorectal cancer
- Cancer clinical trials
- Cancer research networks
- Chemotherapy research
- Global oncology
- Cancer control and national cancer planning
- Cancer service redesign and policy development
Publications
Professor David James Kerr has 690 publications.
Most Influential Publications
Personalizing adjuvant therapy for patients with colorectal cancer. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2023. 110 citations.
Pharmacological activation of STAT1-GSDME pyroptotic circuitry reinforces epigenetic immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut, 2024. 37 citations.
Multiplex analysis of intratumoural immune infiltrate and prognosis in patients with stage II–III colorectal cancer from the SCOT and QUASAR 2 trials: a retrospective analysis. The Lancet Oncology, 2024. 21 citations.
Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase gene variants for predicting grade 4–5 fluoropyrimidine-induced toxicity: FUSAFE individual patient data meta-analysis. British Journal of Cancer, 2024. 21 citations.
Fine-mapping analysis including over 254,000 East Asian and European descendants identifies 136 putative colorectal cancer susceptibility genes. Nature Communications, 2024. 18 citations.
GTP Cyclohydrolase Drives Breast Cancer Development and Promotes EMT in an Enzyme-Independent Manner. Cancer Research, 2023. 13 citations.
Accessing the vasculature in cancer: revising an old hallmark. Trends in Cancer, 2024. 11 citations.
Single-cell AI-based detection and prognostic and predictive value of DNA mismatch repair deficiency in colorectal cancer. Cell Reports Medicine, 2024. 9 citations.
Unification of Efforts to Improve Global Access to Cancer Therapeutics: Report From the 2022/2023 Access to Essential Cancer Medicines Stakeholder Summit. JCO Global Oncology, 2024. 8 citations.
Recent Publications
Reliable classification of polyps based on artificial intelligence: a development and validation study. EClinicalMedicine, 2026.
Enabling clinical use of foundation models in histopathology. Preprint, 2026.
Applicability of mitotic figure counting by deep learning: a development and pan-cancer validation study. FEBS Open Bio, 2026.
Generalisation of automatic tumour segmentation in histopathological whole-slide images across multiple cancer types. npj Precision Oncology, 2026.
Psychiatric disorders associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer in the UK Biobank cohort. Scientific Reports, 2026.
Analysis of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations as causes of the hypermethylator phenotype in colorectal cancer. The Journal of Pathology, 2025.
Activin A affects colorectal cancer progression and immunomodulation in a stage dependent manner. Scientific Reports, 2025.
Epigenetic therapeutics to overcome resistance against immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma: a proof-of-concept clinical trial. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, 2025.
Coevolution of Atypical BRAF and KRAS Mutations in Colorectal Tumorigenesis. Molecular Cancer Research, 2025.
Early-stage lung adenocarcinoma affects DNA methylation and gene expression in adjacent tissues. EMBO Reports, 2025.
A Change of Hallmark: An Update. Cells, 2025.
The Change of Hallmark: An Update. Preprint, 2025.
Generalisation of automatic tumour segmentation in histopathological whole-slide images across multiple cancer types. Preprint, 2025.
Bestrophin-4 relays HES4 and interacts with TWIST1 to suppress epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer cells. eLife, 2024.
Viewpoint: prognostic markers can personalize adjuvant therapeutic options. Academia Oncology, 2024.
Bestrophin-4 relays Hes4 and interacts with Twist1 to suppress epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer cells. Preprint, 2024.
554P Novel clinical decision support system optimizing adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer by integrating deep learning and circulating tumor DNA molecular residual disease: GALAXY histotyping. Annals of Oncology, 2024.
CORRECT-MRD I: A clinical validation study to predict recurrence in stage II–III colorectal cancer using a bespoke circulating tumor DNA assay to detect molecular residual disease. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2024.
Is Risk-Stratifying Patients with Colorectal Cancer Using a Deep Learning-Based Prognostic Biomarker Cost-Effective? PharmacoEconomics, 2024.
Abstract 1424: Epigenetic activation of tumoral IFNγ response and pyroptosis overcomes immunotherapy resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Research, 2024.
Guidelines for study protocols describing predefined validations of prediction models in medical deep learning and beyond. Nature Machine Intelligence, 2024.
Utilizing Crowdsourcing via Hackathon to Address Access to Cancer Medicine Across Borders: Lessons Learned. Innovations in Digital Health Diagnostics and Biomarkers, 2023.
Using crowdsourcing approach to obtain real-world insights to improve access to cancer medicine. JCO Oncology Practice, 2023.
Bestrophin-4 relays Hes4 and interacts with Twist1 to suppress epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer cells. Preprint, 2023.
573P Multiparameter immunoprofiling reveals independent prognostic value of intraepithelial CD8 and intrastromal FoxP3 infiltrate in stage II/III colorectal cancer: Analysis of 3,409 cases from the SCOT and QUASAR2 trials. Annals of Oncology, 2023.
Accounting for intensity variation in image analysis of large-scale multiplexed clinical trial datasets. The Journal of Pathology: Clinical Research, 2023.
IDDF2023-ABS-0174 Epigenetic activation of tumoral IFNγ response and pyroptosis overcomes immunotherapy resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut, 2023.
A novel genetic marker of fluoropyrimidine-induced cardiovascular toxicity. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2023.
All information is sourced from publicly available materials.