kenneth Westover, PhD

Ken Westover, M.D., Ph.D., started his research career as a summer undergraduate research fellow in the labs of Nobel Prize laureates Michael Brown, M.D., and Joseph Goldstein, M.D., at UT Southwestern. It was there that he learned the basics of biochemistry and became convinced that he wanted to become a physician-scientist. 
After graduating with honors from Brigham Young University, with a B.S. in biochemistry, Dr. Westover entered the Stanford University Medical Scientist Training Program where he worked in the lab of Roger Kornberg, Ph.D., on the structural biology and biochemistry of gene transcription. Dr. Westover’s work was subsequently cited in the 2006 Nobel Prize for Chemistry awarded to Dr. Kornberg.
Radiation oncology was a natural fit for Dr. Westover given his laboratory experience, which had natural connections to cancer biology and included elements of imaging research, radiation science, and computer science. Most importantly, Dr. Westover found he was passionate about the practice of oncology. 
Dr. Westover completed his residency in radiation oncology at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, where he simultaneously worked in the lab of Nathanael Gray, Ph.D., in the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, learning principles of structure-based drug design and chemical biology. He also completed Harvard’s Intensive Translational Research Program.
Now at UT Southwestern, Dr. Westover focuses his clinical efforts on lung cancer and his research efforts on improving cancer therapies. In addition to targeted drug design, Dr. Westover hopes to find new ways to combine radiation therapy and targeted drugs.