Patrick Hwu, MD

Specialty Focus

Leadership, cancer research | Immunotherapy | CAR T-cell therapy | Melanoma | Translational cancer research

Visionary Leadership in Cancer Care

Patrick Hwu, MD, is the president and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida and one of the nation’s top cancer hospitals. An internationally recognized tumor immunologist and award-winning physician-scientist, Dr. Hwu is a pioneer in immunotherapy whose leadership continues to shape the future of cancer treatment and research.

Dr. Hwu’s career has been inseparable from the rise of cancer immunotherapy. In the early 1990s at the National Cancer Institute, he helped demonstrate that human T cells could be genetically engineered to recognize and destroy cancer; groundbreaking work that launched the era of CAR T-cell therapy. His discoveries in cytokine biology, TIL therapy, cancer vaccines and immune resistance have led to clinical innovations that save lives today.

Pioneering the Field of Cellular Immunotherapy

Explore Dr. Hwu’s landmark contributions that helped launch CAR T-cell therapy and revolutionize modern immunotherapy.

Read the Full Story: Dr. Hwu and the CAR T Revolution

Transforming Research and Patient Outcomes at Moffitt

Since joining Moffitt in 2020, Dr. Hwu has expanded one of the country’s most active CAR T and cell therapy programs, with more than 2,000 patients treated. His strategic vision unites research, clinical excellence and partnerships with biopharma and academia to accelerate breakthroughs for both blood cancers and solid tumors. Under his leadership, Moffitt is advancing next-generation therapies using CRISPR, dual-targeting CARs and off-the-shelf manufacturing to make cellular therapy faster, safer and more accessible.

A Career of Academic and Scientific Leadership

Prior to Moffitt, Dr. Hwu spent 17 years at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, serving as Head of the Division of Cancer Medicine and Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology. He has trained and mentored a generation of physician-scientists and continues to publish and lecture worldwide on immunotherapy and translational oncology.

Dr. Hwu earned his medical degree from The Medical College of Pennsylvania. He completed his internal medicine residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and his oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, where he served as principal investigator in tumor immunology.