David Tweardy

David Tweardy, M.D. is Head of the Division of Internal Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center and a physician-scientist recognized for his contributions to our understanding of the biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, as well as its contribution to inflammation, fibrosis, and oncogenesis. His group claims several firsts in the STAT3 field, including the identification, molecular cloning, and full characterization of the β isoform of human STAT3, identifying the contribution of STAT3 to human oncogenesis, and discovering competitive small-molecule inhibitors of STAT3 through targeting its Src homology (SH) 2 domain. He has obtained $15M in non-dilutive funding to support development of small-molecule STAT3 inhibitors from concept to Phase I testing. Dr. Tweardy is the major inventor of all patents licensed to or owned by Tvardi. Dr. Tweardy received his M.D. at Harvard Medical School and an A.B. in Chemistry from Princeton University.