Getting to Know: Roger Stupp, MD

Co-director, Northwestern Medicine Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital​

November 5, 2018​ | 3 min. to read

Many times, the diseases we’re up against are aggressive, smart and constantly evolving. It takes a similar mind-set to beat them. No one knows this more than Roger Stupp, MD, co-director of the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute and associate director of Strategic Initiatives for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Stupp, originally from Switzerland, has been researching and developing new ways to treat brain cancer for more than 30 years. His efforts focus on creating multidisciplinary approaches that integrate clinical and translational research, and Dr. Stupp’s work sets the global standard for brain cancer care. His treatment regimens are so effective that they are commonly referred to as Stupp Protocol.

Dr. Stupp’s most recent achievement is the development of a treatment protocol that increases the two-year survival rate for patients with glioblastoma, the most aggressive cancer that originates in the brain. “I am constantly looking to push the envelope when it comes to treating brain cancer,” says Dr. Stupp. “Only when we are pushing ourselves to look at problems from a new perspective or to try something that’s never been done before is when we will achieve results that we’ve never seen before.”
​
Under Dr. Stupp’s leadership, the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute’s multidisciplinary team of physicians and clinicians assess patients, make recommendations and ultimately provide treatment. This means faster, more efficient care – and better results – for patients.
“Dr. Stupp’s drive for excellence has resulted in advancements that have changed how we treat brain cancer,” says Chief Medical Officer James Adams, MD. “Our patients are living longer and healthier lives because of his tireless efforts, and that’s our main priority.”

Dr. Stupp received his medical degree from the University of Zurich in 1987. He was a fellow in hematology/oncology at the University of Chicago, and moved back to Switzerland to work at Lausanne University Hospital and the University of Lausanne in 1996. He worked there for many years eventually becoming director of oncology clinical research and head of neuro-oncology in the Department of Neurosurgery. He returned to the University Hospital Zurich in 2013 and became director of the Department of Oncology and of the Zurich Cancer Center. He joined Northwestern Medicine in 2017.

For his remarkable contributions, Dr. Stupp has received numerous awards, including the European Society for Medical Oncology’s Hamilton Fairley Award and the Society for NeuroOncology’s Victor Levin Award. He served as the president of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer for five years. Dr.  Stupp has also published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, editorials and book chapters.

The Northwestern Medicine Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in the fight against malignant, benign and metastatic brain tumors and spinal cord tumors, offering patients the most advanced clinical trial and treatment options available.

---