David Agus, MD

Founding CEO
Professor of Medicine and Engineering, USC
EIT Faculty
Principal, GHSC

310 228 6400

Dr. David B. Agus is the Founding CEO of the Ellison Medical Institute and a Professor of Medicine and Engineering at the University of Southern California. He is also a Visiting Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford.

A medical oncologist by training, Dr. Agus leads a multidisciplinary team that develops and applies advanced technologies — including artificial intelligence — to cancer care and preventative medicine. An international leader in global health and precision medicine, he serves in leadership roles with the World Economic Forum and co-chairs the Global Health Security Consortium. He is a regular medical contributor to CBS News and the author of four international and New York Times bestselling books: The End of Illness (2012), A Short Guide to a Long Life (2014), The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health (2016), and The Book of Animal Secrets: Nature’s Lessons for a Long and Happy Life (2023). He also hosts the docuseries The Checkup with Dr. David Agus on Paramount+, featuring conversations with public figures about their personal health journeys. He was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2017 and, in 2026, received the Latchkey Award from Johns Hopkins Medicine and recognition from the Osler Residency.

Research Focus

Molecular Targeted Therapy of Cancer
Personalized Medicine
Use of Molecular Profiling to Improve Cancer Care
Use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cancer Care

Education

BA

1987 Molecular Biology – Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

RESIDENCY

1993-1994 – Johns Hopkins Hospital (Osler Resident in Internal Medicine), Baltimore, MD

MD

1992 Medicine – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

FELLOWSHIP

1994-1996 – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Fellow-Medical Oncology), New York, NY 1996-1997 – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Special Fellow-Medical Oncology), New York, NY

INTERNSHIP

1992-1993 – Johns Hopkins Hospital (Osler Intern in International Medicine), Baltimore, MD

Awards

Ellis Island Medal of Honor, 2017

Fellow, American College of Physicians, 2016

USC Association of Trojan Leagues Outstanding Service Annual Award, 2013

British Medical Association Commendation, Popular Medicine Book, 2012

Biotech Humanitarian Award: Selected Judge, 2009

Geoffrey Beene Foundation/GQ Magazine Rock Star of Science AwardTM, 2009

HealthNetwork Foundation Excellence Award, 2008

CaP CURE Young Investigator Award, 1998-2001

Clinical Scholar of the Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1996

American Cancer Society Clinical Oncology Fellowship Award, 1994

Leadership Positions

Trustee, Global Challenge Initiative on The Future of Health, World Economic Forum

Osler Housestaff Advisory Board, Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine

Biden Cancer Initiative, Founding Board of Directors

Contributor, CBS News

Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, Board of Directors

Books

The Book of Animal Secrets: Nature’s Lessons for a Long and Happy Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2023. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.

The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.

A Short Guide to a Long Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.

Cover of the book titled "The end of Illness" written by David B. Agus, Md New York Times best selling author.

The End of Illness. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Agus M.D., David B.

Selected Publications

Agus DB, Akita RW, Fox WD, Lewis GD, Higgins B, Pisacane PI, Lofgren JA, Tindell C, Evans DP, Maiese K, Scher HI, Sliwkowski MX. Targeting ligand-activated ErbB2 signaling inhibits breast and prostate tumor growth. Cancer Cell. 2002 Aug; 2(2):127-37. View in: PubMed

Hedvat M, Jain A, Carson DA, Leoni LM, Huang G, Holden S, Lu D, Corr M, Fox W, Agus DB. Inhibition of HER-kinase activation prevents ERK-mediated degradation of PPARgamma. Cancer Cell. 2004 Jun; 5(6):565-74. View in: PubMed

Agus DB, Sweeney CJ, Morris MJ, Mendelson DS, McNeel DG, Ahmann FR, Wang J, Derynck MK, Ng K, Lyons B, Allison DE, Kattan MW, Scher HI. Efficacy and safety of single-agent pertuzumab (rhuMAb 2C4), a human epidermal growth factor receptor dimerization inhibitor, in castration-resistant prostate cancer after progression from taxane-based therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Feb 20; 25(6):675-81. View in: PubMed

Agus DB, Gell-Mann M. Perspective: Meeting of minds. Nature. 2012 Nov 22; 491(7425):S61. View in: PubMed

Agus DB, Michor F (2012) The sciences converge to fight cancer. Nature Physics 8(11): 773-774. View here

Agus DB: The End of Illness (2012) Simon & Schuster (Free Press), New York, NY.

Agus DB: A Short Guide to a Long Life (2014) Simon & Schuster, New York, NY.

Agus DB: The Lucky Years: how to thrive in the brave new world of health (2016) Simon & Schuster, New York, NY.

Agus DB, Gaudette É, Goldman DP, Messali A. The Long-Term Benefits of Increased Aspirin Use by At-Risk Americans Aged 50 and Older. PLoS One. 2016 Nov 30;11(11).View in: PubMed

Rawat RR, Ruderman D, Macklin P, Rimm DL, Agus DB. Correlating nuclear morphometric patterns with estrogen receptor status in breast cancer pathologic specimens. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2018 Sep 4;4:32. View in: PubMed

ORCID