Maura L. Gillison, MD, PhD, a renowned medical oncologist and molecular epidemiologist whose groundbreaking research transformed understanding and treatment of head and neck cancer, has died at the age of 61.
Gillison died on June 21 at her childhood home in Willoughby, Ohio, with her family at her side, according to her husband, David E. Symer. She had been diagnosed with small bowel cancer.
A professor of medicine specializing in thoracic, head and neck medical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Gillison spent much of her career investigating the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) and head and neck cancers.
Her research helped establish that HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck cancers are biologically distinct diseases. That discovery fundamentally changed how physicians understand, diagnose and treat certain head and neck cancers and helped open the door to new approaches in prevention and treatment.
Gillison’s landmark research became particularly influential in the study of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Her work demonstrated the presence of HPV not only in primary tumors but also in metastatic disease, helping establish the viral infection as a major cause of a subset of head and neck cancers.
NCI Principal Deputy Director Douglas R. Lowy, who worked with Gillison and shared the 2025 VinFuture Grand Prize with her, described her death as a major loss to cancer research.
Lowy said Gillison was a “visionary leader” whose research focused on HPV-positive oropharynx cancer and its patients. He highlighted her influential 2000 publication as seminal work that helped shape decades of subsequent research.
Her scientific contributions earned some of the highest honors in medicine. In 2021, Gillison received the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
In December 2025, she shared the prestigious VinFuture Grand Prize with Lowy, John T. Schiller and Aimée R. Kreimer for groundbreaking scientific achievements related to HPV and cancer.
Gillison was also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians, reflecting the extraordinary standing she held within the medical and scientific communities.
Colleagues remembered Gillison not only for her scientific brilliance but also for her dedication to patients and the people around her.
Sue Yom, chair of the NRG Oncology Head & Neck Cancer Committee and RTOG Foundation Head & Neck Cancer Committee, described Gillison as fearless, brilliant and deeply compassionate, saying her career was devoted to improving the lives of people with head and neck cancer.
Otis W. Brawley, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Oncology and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, said Gillison began making major contributions while she was still in training and ultimately changed the understanding of the causes of head and neck cancer.
At MD Anderson, colleagues similarly emphasized the breadth of her impact.
John Heymach, chair of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at MD Anderson, called Gillison one of the most impactful head and neck medical oncologists in history and remembered her as an exceptional physician, mother and colleague who worked tirelessly to turn scientific discoveries into advances for patients.
MD Anderson President Peter WT Pisters described Gillison as a visionary scientist and compassionate physician whose landmark HPV discoveries reshaped head and neck cancer research and clinical care.
Her legacy extends beyond the scientific papers and awards that marked her career. By establishing the importance of HPV in a major subset of head and neck cancers, Gillison helped change the way physicians and researchers approach a disease that affects thousands of patients each year.
Her work also contributed to a broader understanding of how cancer prevention, molecular research and individualized treatment can intersect to improve outcomes.
For the cancer research community, Gillison’s death represents the loss of a scientist whose influence reached across laboratories, hospitals and clinical trials. For her patients, colleagues, friends and family, it is also the loss of a physician and person remembered for her compassion, determination and commitment to improving the lives of others.
Maura Gillison leaves behind a remarkable scientific legacy — one that will continue to influence the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HPV-related cancers for years to come.
