Dr. Mischel is a Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Molecular & Medical Pharmacology at the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine. He is the Scientific Director of the Biomarkers Program and co-Director of the Cancer Stem Cell Program Area of the UCLA Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine. Dr. Mischel obtained his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1991. Following residency in Anatomic Pathology and Fellowship in Neuropathology at UCLA, Dr. Mischel did his post-doctoral research training with Dr. Louis F. Reichardt at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at UCSF.

Dr. Mischel’s laboratory is focused on molecularly targeted therapies for glioblastoma and on the development of quantitative molecular approaches to help identify the individual patients most likely to benefit. His research involves examining mechanisms of targeted pathway inhibitor sensitivity and resistance and using this information to develop molecularly guided combination therapies, using systems biology approaches to find and test new drug targets, and integrating new diagnostic technologies to guide cancer treatment. Dr. Mischel and colleagues have identified the molecular determinants of response to EGFR kinase inhibitors in glioblastoma patients and begun to identify potential combination strategies to overcome resistance. This work was highlighted in the NIH fact sheet for the public as one of the 9 advances in 2005-2006 “Driving the Transformation Towards Predictive, Personalized and Preemptive Medicine.” Dr. Mischel is the recipient of a number of awards including the Pfizer New Faculty Award in Neuroscience, Stop Cancer Next Generation Award, the Johnny Mercer Foundation Award and the Farber Award for Brain Tumor Research.