Neil D. Gross

Neil D. Gross is a Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, specializing in head and neck surgical oncology and radiation oncology. His research focuses on cancer immunotherapy resistance, intratumoral microbiota, and the tumor microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Recent breakthroughs include identifying intratumoral bacteria that promote immunotherapy resistance (Nature Cancer, 2026) and demonstrating cancer-induced nerve injury's role in anti-PD-1 therapy resistance (Nature, 2025). He led a multicentre phase 3 trial comparing proton versus photon radiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer (The Lancet, 2025) and contributed to ECOG-ACRIN trials on transoral surgery and risk-based adjuvant treatment. His work spans HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, and molecular mechanisms involving IGF2BP3 and m6A modification.