Amy B. Heimberger, M.D.
Glioblastoma Moon Shot
About Dr. Heimberger
Amy B. Heimberger, M.D., is a board-certified neurosurgeon with extensive training and experience in the field of immunology. Her scientific interest is focused on elucidating the mechanisms of tumor-mediated immune suppression and identifying actionable targets for immune therapeutics.
Affiliations and Related Links
Fighting Cancer: It's Personal
What makes your fight against cancer personal?
One of our beloved Neurosurgery department faculty, Sam Hassenbusch, died of a glioblastoma. He inspired us to really think outside the box and was absolutely devoted to moving science forward – even placing himself at risk for being the “first one” treated with a unique combinatorial approach that was ultimately advanced into Phase III clinical testing because of his focus and effort.
What motivates and excites you?
My motivation comes from the excitement of learning something new for the very first time.
What's your Moon Shot focus?
I'm focused on exploiting the intrinsic heterogeneity of glioblastoma with precision medicine and designing unique clinical trials to evaluate immune responses within the tumor microenvironment.
What makes the Moon Shots Program stand out?
The large-scale collaborative effort of this program is what makes it stand out.
What do you hope to accomplish?
I hope to have a meaningful impact on patient’s lives.
What else do you want people to know about you and your work?
I adore dogs and we're even treating canines with brain tumors in collaboration with Texas A&M with a unique immune therapeutic developed at MD Anderson. If this approach demonstrates responses in dogs, it is very likely to be advanced into human clinical trials.