Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan

Get to Know Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan

In 2016, Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan was appointed the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

He also serves as a professor of medicine and as the director of the Section of Medical Oncology.

Govindan is part of a multidisciplinary team at Siteman Cancer Center that specializes in lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma treatment. 

He works closely with surgeons Dr. Alexander Patterson and Dr. Benjamin Kozower, who also specialize in lung diseases, along with a team that includes pulmonologists and radiologists.

Govindan was the principal investigator for a phase II clinical trial studying mesothelioma and the drug Iressa (gefitinib). He is currently conducting several clinical trials involving lung cancer. He also is known for his patient-centric care in the clinic and his bedside manner.

“When you are told you have cancer, it is a big, life-changing event,” Govindan said. “We do our best to reassure our patients of the possibilities and the hope that is there. At the same time, we have to be very honest and candid with our patients.”

Govindan is known for his innovative research, particularly in genomics, that is being used to develop better lung cancer therapies and significantly improve patient outcomes. He is co-chair of The Cancer Genome Atlas project, a nationwide effort to personalize cancer care through identifying genetic mutations.

He earned his medical degree from the University of Madras in India and completed his fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Washington University School of Medicine. Govindan did a residency in internal medicine at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago before joining the Washington University faculty in 1998.

Specialties of Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan

• Pleural mesothelioma
• Esophageal cancer
• Thoracic cancer
• Lung cancer
• Gene therapy
• Research

Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan’s Experience and Medical Education

• Siteman Cancer Center
• University of Madras (M.D.)
• Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research and Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center (Residency)
• Washington University (Fellowship)
• Board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology

Awards and Certifications for Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan

• Anheuser-Busch Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology (2016)   
• Alton Ochsner Award Related Smoking and Disease (2016) 
• ASCO Clinical Research Career Development Award (2001)    
• Alfred Pick Award for Academic Excellence, Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center (1993)   

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Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Under Ramaswamy Govindan, M.D.

• Gefitinib in treating patients with malignant mesothelioma.

Publications of Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan

• Park, A. et al. (2020, November). A phase I trial of temsirolimus and erlotinib in patients with refractory solid tumors. Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology. 
• Ott, P.A. et al. (2020, October). A Phase Ib Trial of Personalized Neoantigen Therapy Plus Anti-PD-1 in Patients with Advanced Melanoma, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, or Bladder Cancer. Cell.
• Hong, D.S. et al. (2020, September). KRAS G12C Inhibition with Sotorasib in Advanced Solid Tumors. The New England Journal of Medicine.