Mark Watson, MD, PhD

Margaret Gladys Smith Professor in Pathology and Immunology

Divisions

Laboratory and Genomic Medicine

Division: Laboratory & Genomic Medicine

Titles

Vice Chair, Office of Faculty Development
Director, Siteman Cancer Center Tissue Procurement Core
Director, Alliance Biorepository and Biospecimen Resource
Director, Alliance Foundation Trials Biorepository

Education

BA, Biochemistry: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (1985)

PhD, Neurosciences: Washington University, St. Louis, MO (1992)

MD: Washington University, St. Louis, MO (1992)

Boards

American Board of Pathology, Clinical Pathology

Recognition

Graduate cum laude with honors in Biochemistry, Univ. Pennsylvania, 1985

Spencer T. Olin Fellowship, Washington University. 1991

Young Investigator Award, Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists. 1995, 1996

NCI Director’s Award for Clinical Science, 2018

Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences

Research Interests

I direct several institutional and national biospecimen banking efforts, primarily in the context of NCI-sponsored cancer therapeutic trials. Using the resources available through our CAP-accredited, Siteman Cancer Center Tissue Procurement Facility, biospecimens are collected from clinical sites throughout the world, received, processed, and distributed for integral and correlative science biomarker studies. As part of this effort, I also supervise the development and deployment of software applications for biospecimen banking and biorepository operations.

My research laboratory is interested in identifying the genomic alterations that contribute to tumor cell metastasis in breast and lung cancer, with the goal of developing advanced genome-based diagnostics to detect, classify, and eradicate metastatic tumor cells to improve long-term patient outcome. By performing AI-based imaging, spatial profiling, and multiplexed genomic analyses of primary tumors, metastatic lesions, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) from cancer patients, we are identifying biomarkers that are both prognostic for outcome and predictive of therapeutic response. Our goal is to better understand the process of genomic evolution of tumor cells and to leverage this information to develop therapeutic targeting strategies, in collaboration with clinical and surgical oncologists, to mitigate metastatic disease.

Selected Publications

WashU Medicine Profile

Assistant

Lori Scantlan

Administrative Coordinator III