Dr. Marina Garassino

Biography

Marina Chiara Garassino is an internationally recognized thoracic medical oncologist at the University of Chicago, focusing on the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), mesothelioma, and thymic malignancies. She received her medical degree and completed her oncology training at Università degli Studi di Milano, followed by clinical fellowships at prestigious institutions including San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (INT) in Milan, and Christie’s Hospital in Manchester, UK. Dr. Garassino joined the University of Chicago in 2021 and has previously served as Chief Medical Officer of the Thoracic Oncology Unit at INT Milan, a leading cancer center in Europe. She holds a Master’s in Oncology Management from Bocconi University, demonstrating her commitment to redesigning cancer care pathways. Her research has significantly influenced global standards for lung cancer management, including her role as a Principal Investigator in the KEYNOTE-189 trial, which established chemo-immunotherapy as the first-line standard for metastatic NSCLC. Additionally, she has contributed to the development of targeted therapies and led the practice-changing TAILOR trial, which demonstrated the limitations of EGFR inhibitors in patients with wild-type EGFR. With over 350 peer-reviewed publications, Garassino is at the forefront of AI-driven multimodal research in thoracic oncology and co-leads I3LUNG, an international initiative aimed at developing AI tools for individualized immunotherapy decisions. She also founded the TERAVOLT global registry to examine outcomes of thoracic cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. An active member of the oncology community, Garassino is a Fellow of ESMO, a commissioner for “The Lancet,” and has held various leadership roles, particularly in promoting the presence of women in oncology.

Research Interests

Experience