Mitesh J. Borad MD

Dr. Mitesh J. Borad, M.D., is an oncologist who is internationally recognized as an expert in treating cholangiocarcinoma. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Borad is extensively involved in developing novel cancer therapeutic platforms that leverage genomic medicine and gene and virus therapies. His research focuses on tumors of the liver, bile ducts, and pancreas.

Dr. Borad led the clinical development of novel anticancer agents in more than 50 first-in-human studies. He led a multi-institutional team with his collaborators at Mayo Clinic and the Translational Genomics Research Institute. The team was one of the first in the world to apply whole-genome sequencing in a clinical setting to care for people with advanced cancers. This work also led to the discovery of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusions in people with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, with the first demonstration of antitumor activity with FGFR inhibitors in this group of people. Subsequent work led to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of pemigatinib, infigratinib, and futibatinib, which are all FGFR inhibitors.

Dr. Borad and his collaborators were the first to characterize the ultrahigh-resolution structure of ChAdOx1, the vector for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. This became the most widely administered COVID-19 vaccine in global history before it was taken off the market in 2024. Dr. Borad's team developed several novel oncolytic, vaccine, and gene therapy vesiculovirus vector platforms devoid of neurotoxicity or hepatotoxicity that are unlike existing vectors.