Ernest T. Hawk, M.D., M.P.H.

Ernest T. Hawk, M.D., M.P.H.

Awardee Year
2014

Cancer Prevention Fellow Class of
1993


Dr. Ernest T. Hawk is vice president and division head for Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Additional responsibilities include leadership of the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment, and co-leadership of MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention and Control Platform.

Prior to his appointment at MD Anderson in December 2007, Dr. Hawk held several positions at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD. He most recently served as director of the Office of Centers, Training and Resources. His other NCI posts included chief and medical officer in the Gastrointestinal and Other Cancers Research Group, medical officer in the Chemoprevention Branch, in the Division of Cancer Prevention and chair of the Translational Research Working Group.

Dr. Hawk has been involved in a wide range of preclinical and clinical chemoprevention research, including studies of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, COX-2 inhibitors, and agent combinations in high-risk cohorts. In addition, he is interested in improving the participation of minority and underserved populations in clinical research, and in the integration of risk assessment, behavioral science, and preventive strategies in clinical trials. He has earned numerous awards for his work, including the NCI Research Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Prevention.

A native of Detroit, Dr. Hawk earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees at Wayne State University and his Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University. He completed an internal medicine internship and residency at Emory University, and a medical oncology clinical fellowship at the University of California prior to joining the CPFP.

Dr. Hawk has published more than 150 scientific articles and book chapters, is the senior deputy editor for Cancer Prevention Research, serves on the editorial board of Cancer Medicine, and an ad hoc reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed journals, including JNCI, NEJM, Lancet and Lancet Oncology.