SUMMARY
Harry H. Yoon, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert and clinical investigator in gastroesophageal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. Dr Yoon's research is dedicated to developing novel genomic and molecularly informed therapies for GI cancers tailored to an individual's tumor and host environment.
In his research lab, which has R01 funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Dr. Yoon seeks to enhance cooperativity of immunotherapy with anti-angiogenic therapies and other treatments. He also co-leads multiple investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored phase 1 to phase 3 clinical trials.
Dr. Yoon is frequently invited to speak at internationally attended scientific conferences, including those sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Dr. Yoon serves on global advisory boards of pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms to guide innovation in drug development.
At Mayo Clinic, Dr. Yoon helps provide strategic leadership for scientific, practice and educational activities within the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Department of Oncology in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic Health System and other sites across Mayo Clinic.
Focus areas
- Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy has transformed treatment for GI cancers and other malignancies. But as Dr. Yoon and others have shown, using single-agent immunotherapy targeting PD-1/PD-L1 is inadequate to eradicate tumors in most people. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is a key component of fighting cancer, but its impact on the anti-cancer ability of the immune system is complex. Dr. Yoon is conducting clinical trials to study how the cooperativity of immunotherapy with other effective anti-cancer therapies can be enhanced to help people live longer and better.
- Understanding the impact of immunotherapy on local and systemic anti-cancer immunity. Dr. Yoon and his team are investigating the impact of immunotherapy on the tumor microenvironment and circulating factors and cells. This work seeks to identify mechanisms of primary and acquired resistance to immunotherapy.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Yoon's research is intended to find cures for cancer, particularly by harnessing the body's natural immune system. His work also helps healthcare professionals better match the right treatment with the right person to maximize the therapy's ability to fight cancer while minimizing side effects. Dr. Yoon's approach to accomplishing these goals is through improving scientific understanding of the molecular characteristics of tumors so that novel agents and approaches can be tailored to each person's tumor and host profile.
Professional highlights
- Mayo Clinic:
- Enterprise co-leader, Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Cancers Program, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2023-present.
- Enterprise vice chair, Gastrointestinal Cancer Disease Group, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2023-present.
- Associate chair, Translational Research, Department of Oncology, 2023-present.
- Co-chair, Esophageal/Gastric Cancer Disease Group, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2017-2023.
- Charles F. and Marcia L. Forcey Career Development Award in Esophageal Cancer Research Honoring Claude Deschamps, M.D., 2011-2013.
- Paul Calabresi Scholar, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2008-2010.
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN):
- Member, Esophageal/Gastric Cancer Guidelines Panels, 2020-present.
- Member, Occult Primary Guidelines Panel, 2016-2021.
- Member, Esophagogastric Task Force, National Cancer Institute, 2016-2020.
- Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2007.