Rate My Professor Chris Kemp

Chris Kemp, PhD, is a Professor in the Human Biology Division and Professor in the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, specializing in biology-related cancer research. He holds an additional appointment as Affiliate Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and serves as a Member of the Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center and Affiliate Investigator in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch. Kemp earned his PhD in Oncology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1989, MS in Fisheries Science from Oregon State University in 1984, and BA in Biology from Case Western Reserve University in 1980. For nearly 30 years, he has been a Full Member at Fred Hutch, initially investigating the genetic and biologic basis of tumor progression and developing blood-based biomarkers for early detection of lung and breast cancers, before shifting focus to precision oncology and targeted therapies.

The Kemp Laboratory of Functional Precision Medicine, led by Kemp, integrates high-throughput functional genomic screens, small molecule screens, and genomic analysis with patient tumor samples to identify next-generation targeted anticancer agents anchored to genetic biomarkers. The lab employs isogenic and patient-derived tumor models to discover and validate targets for challenging cancers including pancreatic, ovarian, breast, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, while elucidating mechanisms of cancer cell death. As part of the Cancer Target Discovery and Development Network, Kemp's efforts bridge cancer genomics and precision oncology. His multidisciplinary team science has secured major National Cancer Institute funding, such as a five-year $5.4 million grant to uncover new cancer-therapy targets via genomic approaches, two awards totaling more than $7 million in 2018 to boost functional genomics, and a $4 million grant in 2013 for developing precision cancer treatments. These initiatives accelerate clinical translation, promising more effective and less toxic therapies.