Funda Meric-Bernstam

Funda Meric-Bernstam is a Professor and high senior faculty member at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she leads translational research in precision oncology. Her research focuses on molecular cancer biology, oncogene-driven therapeutic vulnerabilities, and drug resistance mechanisms, particularly in breast and gynecological cancers. Recent breakthroughs include defining the actionable transcriptome framework for integrating RNA sequencing into clinical practice (Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2026), identifying CDK2 inhibitor synergy with CDK4/6 inhibitors in drug-resistant breast cancers (Nature Communications, 2026), and characterizing Cyclin E1/CDK2 activation as a key vulnerability to WEE1 inhibition in gynecological cancers (npj Precision Oncology, 2025). She has also contributed pivotal analyses of trastuzumab deruxtecan efficacy in HER2-expressing solid tumors and led ESMO recommendations on molecular tumour board quality indicators. Her work spans phase I/II trials combining glutaminase inhibitors with immunotherapy across multiple tumor types.