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Dr. Mark Awad

Mark Awad, MD, PhD

Thoracic Medical Oncologist

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Lung Cancer and Other Thoracic Malignancies
  • Developmental Therapies
  • Immunotherapy
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Dr. Awad's Office Information
Languages: English
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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Chief, Thoracic Oncology Service
Get To Know Me

I am a medical oncologist who treats people with lung cancer and other thoracic cancers. I see patients at the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). I am also the chief of MSK’s thoracic oncology service, where I lead an exceptional team of lung and thoracic cancer specialists. Our goal is to deliver world-class thoracic cancer care, make groundbreaking discoveries to improve treatment, and lead the most promising clinical trials that can successfully treat more and more people with cancer. 

When patients come to me for treatment, they can expect to have a comprehensive analysis of their radiology scans, pathology, genomics, and immune profile so that I can recommend the most precise and tailored treatment options. We usually discuss both standard treatment options as well as potential clinical trials. They can also expect to receive care in a warm, compassionate, and inclusive environment where all are welcome.

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When I was in college, my father was treated for cancer at MSK. He enrolled in a lifesaving clinical trial after many other treatments were ineffective. My family and I formed close relationships with his cancer care team, and this inspired me to pursue a career as a medical oncologist. Years later, I am honored to be part of the same institution, and I am grateful for all the advances and breakthroughs that have helped my family and so many people worldwide who have cancer. I aim to care for patients as if they were my own family, leaving no stone unturned to deliver the highest quality care.

Besides being a clinician, I engage in research to discover new ways to treat lung cancer. My research focuses on developing new immune therapies and cellular therapies for patients, as well as discovering how cancers develop resistance to treatment so that we can overcome and possibly delay the onset of treatment resistance.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors, cycling, cooking, and exploring New York City with my husband and young child. 

My Role at MSK

A thoracic medical oncologist is a cancer doctor who specializes in thoracic (thor-A-sik) cancers. These are cancers that have to do with the chest, including lung, tracheal (windpipe), and thymic (thymus) cancers.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Lung Cancer and Other Thoracic Malignancies
  • Developmental Therapies
  • Immunotherapy
  • Cellular Therapy
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Chief Residency, Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

Awards and Honors

  • Highly Cited Researcher Award, Clarivate Web of Science (2021-2023)
  • Asclepios Award, GO2 Foundation (2023)
  • Outstanding Teaching Award, Dana-Farber/Mass General Brigham Fellowship Program (2023)
  • A. Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award, Harvard Medical School (2022)
  • Team Science Award, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (2021)

Fellowships

  • Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Medical Oncology

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

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New Patients
Scheduling an appointment is easy. Click or call 800-525-2225— we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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Current Patients
Request an appointment by logging on to MyMSK or calling your doctor’s office. If you aren’t registered for MyMSK, call 646-227-2593 for your Enrollment ID.

Contact and Location

Dr. Awad sees patients at one location.

Location
New York, NY
David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
530 East 74th Street New York NY 10021
Get Directions

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Thoracic Oncology Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

Pecci F, Nakazawa S, Ricciuti B, Harada G, Lee JK, Alessi JV, Barrichello A, Vaz VR, Lamberti G, Di Federico A, Gandhi MM, Gazgalis D, Feng WW, Jiang J, Baldacci S, Locquet MA, Gottlieb FH, Chen MF, Lee E, Haradon D, Smokovich A, Voligny E, Nguyen T, Goel VK, Zimmerman Z, Atwal S, Wang X, Bahcall M, Heist RS, Iqbal S, Gandhi N, Elliott A, Vanderwalde AM, Ma PC, Halmos B, Liu SV, Che J, Schrock AB, Drilon A, Jänne PA, Awad MM. Activating Point Mutations in the MET Kinase Domain Represent a Unique Molecular Subset of Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies Targetable with MET Inhibitors. Cancer Discov. 2024 Aug 2;14(8):1440-1456. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-23-1217. PubMed PMID: 38564707; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11294820.

Ricciuti B, Lamberti G, Puchala SR, Mahadevan NR, Lin JR, Alessi JV, Chowdhury A, Li YY, Wang X, Spurr L, Pecci F, Di Federico A, Venkatraman D, Barrichello AP, Gandhi M, Vaz VR, Pangilinan AJ, Haradon D, Lee E, Gupta H, Pfaff KL, Welsh EL, Nishino M, Cherniack AD, Johnson BE, Weirather JL, Dryg ID, Rodig SJ, Sholl LM, Sorger P, Santagata S, Umeton R, Awad MM. Genomic and Immunophenotypic Landscape of Acquired Resistance to PD-(L)1 Blockade in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Apr 10;42(11):1311-1321. doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.00580. Epub 2024 Jan 11. PubMed PMID: 38207230; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11095860.

Awad MM, Govindan R, Balogh KN, Spigel DR, Garon EB, Bushway ME, Poran A, Sheen JH, Kohler V, Esaulova E, Srouji J, Ramesh S, Vyasamneni R, Karki B, Sciuto TE, Sethi H, Dong JZ, Moles MA, Manson K, Rooney MS, Khondker ZS, DeMario M, Gaynor RB, Srinivasan L. Personalized neoantigen vaccine NEO-PV-01 with chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 as first-line treatment for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell. 2022 Sep 12;40(9):1010-1026.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.08.003. Epub 2022 Aug 25. PubMed PMID: 36027916.

Ricciuti B, Arbour KC, Lin JJ, Vajdi A, Vokes N, Hong L, Zhang J, Tolstorukov MY, Li YY, Spurr LF, Cherniack AD, Recondo G, Lamberti G, Wang X, Venkatraman D, Alessi JV, Vaz VR, Rizvi H, Egger J, Plodkowski AJ, Khosrowjerdi S, Digumarthy S, Park H, Vaz N, Nishino M, Sholl LM, Barbie D, Altan M, Heymach JV, Skoulidis F, Gainor JF, Hellmann MD, Awad MM. Diminished Efficacy of Programmed Death-(Ligand)1 Inhibition in STK11- and KEAP1-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma Is Affected by KRAS Mutation Status. J Thorac Oncol. 2022 Mar;17(3):399-410. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2021.10.013. Epub 2021 Nov 2. PubMed PMID: 34740862; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10980559.

Awad MM, Liu S, Rybkin II, Arbour KC, Dilly J, Zhu VW, Johnson ML, Heist RS, Patil T, Riely GJ, Jacobson JO, Yang X, Persky NS, Root DE, Lowder KE, Feng H, Zhang SS, Haigis KM, Hung YP, Sholl LM, Wolpin BM, Wiese J, Christiansen J, Lee J, Schrock AB, Lim LP, Garg K, Li M, Engstrom LD, Waters L, Lawson JD, Olson P, Lito P, Ou SI, Christensen JG, Jänne PA, Aguirre AJ. Acquired Resistance to KRAS(G12C) Inhibition in Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2021 Jun 24;384(25):2382-2393. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2105281. PubMed PMID: 34161704; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8864540.

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Awad’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed
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