McGarry Houghton, MD

Pulmonologist Dr. McGarry Houghton studies lung diseases, especially lung cancer, and he develops new methods to detect and treat them. He leads the Hutch’s lung cancer research group. His major focus is on identifying the molecules and cells in non-small cell lung cancer that prevent the immune system from attacking the tumor. In particular, he is an expert in neutrophils, a kind of immune cell that tumors co-opt for their own ends. He uses his knowledge about tumor immunology to develop targeted immunotherapies that unleash the body’s anti-cancer power. Dr. Houghton also identifies blood biomarkers for lung cancers. Such biomarkers could eventually serve as the foundation for a blood test to detect these cancers early, when they are most treatable. Finally, Dr. Houghton investigates how lung diseases such as emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis increase the risk for lung cancer, with the aim of finding ways to stop this disease progression.