Mary L. Disis

Disis at the Cancer Vaccine Institute laboratory at the University of Washington

Mary L. "Nora" Disis is an American physician-oncologist whose research focuses on cancer immunotherapy and cancer vaccines. She is the editor-in-chief of JAMA Oncology and director of the Cancer Vaccine Institute at the University of Washington.

She was part of the scientific team who discovered that the HER2/neu molecule is a tumor-specific marker, or antigen.

Education

Disis received her medical degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and completed her residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She received a fellowship at the University of Washington Division of Medical Oncology in 1993. She has board certifications in Internal Medicine (1989) and Medical Oncology (1997).[1]

Biography

Mary "Nora" Disis received her medical degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and completed her residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She received a fellowship at the University of Washington Division of Medical Oncology in 1993. She has board certifications in Internal Medicine (1989) and Medical Oncology (1997).[1]

Disis became interested in medicine and research in high school, becoming "involved in lab-based research projects in college and medical school."[2] She is a member of Sigma Xi.[3] and a member of the Association of American Physicians.[4]

She has previously discussed gender inequity in the science field. She commented on the gender gap and lack of leadership positions for women.[5] In an interview with CoMotion, she discussed mentorship, innovation, and opportunities within biomedical research, noting that she was the only female oncology fellow in her class.[6]

Career

Disis is the founder and director of the UW Cancer Vaccine Institute, a member of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, editor-in-chief of JAMA Oncology, a deputy editor for JAMA and a past associate dean at the University of Washington School of Medicine.[7][8] She holds the title of the Helen B. Slonaker Endowed Professorship for Cancer Research, professor of Medicine and Oncology, and adjunct professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pathology.[1] Her work has included the development of cancer immunotherapies, vaccines, and diagnostic technologies, and she has contributed to multiple patents related to cancer immunotherapy.[9] She cofounded the biotechnology company EpiThany, which focuses on cancer vaccine technologies.[6] She is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and a member of the ASCO's Research Pipeline Workgroup.[2]

She founded the Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS)[10] and served as Principal Investigator from 2007 through 2024.[11]

Disis served as a Komen Scholar for Susan G. Komen from 2012 to 2021, where she participated as a reviewer in Komen's peer review process.[12]

In 2015, she became the founding editor-in-chief of JAMA Oncology, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association.[13] Under Disis' leadership, the journal launched its first issue in 2015 and became one of the American Medical Association's specialty journals.[14][15] She is a deputy editor for JAMA.[16] She has previously worked as an editor at the Journal of Clinical Oncology.[17]

On July 1, 2015, she became an American Cancer Society Professor. As an ACS Professor, she served as a spokesperson for the Society.[18] Her research focused on vaccines to prevent colon cancer by identifying proteins that are overexpressed in early stages of the disease.[19] In 2020, her professorship was renewed for another five years.[20]

She is an Athena Distinguished Professor of Breast Cancer Research and has been a Breast Cancer Research Foundation investigator since 2016.[21] In 2016, she was a Chair of the ASCO-SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium Program Committee.[22]

Disis has discussed developments in cancer immunotherapy and vaccine-based approaches to treatment.[23] In 2023, CGTLive also reported on her comments regarding investigational immunotherapy approaches, including CAR T-cell therapies being studied for solid tumors.[24]

In 2025, she was among investigators receiving funding support for research on ovarian cancer vaccines through a collaboration between the Rivkin Center and the Andy Hill CARE Fund.[25]

Research

HER-2/neu

Disis has conducted research on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2, also known as ERBB2), a protein that is overexpressed in a subset of breast cancers. Her research has investigated HER2/neu as a tumor antigen and the use of HER2-specific immune responses in cancer treatment.[26][27]

Disis and her collaborators have investigated vaccines targeting HER2/neu, including peptide-based vaccines and vaccines containing the intracellular domain of the HER2/neu protein. Clinical studies examined whether these vaccines could induce HER2-specific immune responses in patients with cancer.[28][29]

Disis also participated in research combining HER2 vaccination with adoptive T-cell therapy. A phase I clinical study evaluated HER2/neu vaccine-primed autologous T-cell infusions in patients with advanced HER2/neu-expressing cancers.[30]

In 2011, Newsweek profiled Disis's research on an experimental HER2/neu vaccine for metastatic breast cancer, describing the vaccine as an approach intended to stimulate T-cell responses against HER2/neu antigens expressed by cancer cells.[31]

A later phase I/II clinical trial further evaluated HER2 vaccine-primed autologous T-cell infusions in patients with treatment-refractory HER2-overexpressing breast cancer.[32]

Disis has also led research into DNA vaccines targeting HER2. In a phase I clinical trial published in 2023, she and her colleagues evaluated a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding the intracellular domain of ERBB2 in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. The study primarily assessed the vaccine's safety and ability to induce immune responses.[33]

In 2022, Axios Seattle reported on Disis's work developing experimental vaccines intended to prevent or treat HER2-positive breast cancer and reported that the research was moving into phase II clinical trials.[34] In 2023, Seattle Met profiled Disis and her research on HER2-targeted vaccines and reported on clinical trials involving vaccines designed.

Selected publications

  • Disis, Mary L. (Nora); Guthrie, Katherine A; Liu, Ying (2022-11-03). "Safety and Outcomes of a Plasmid DNA Vaccine Encoding the ERBB2 Intracellular Domain in Patients With Advanced-Stage ERBB2-Positive Breast Cancer". JAMA Oncology. 9 (1). doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.5143. PMC 9634596.

Awards and honors

  • Merrill Egorin Award for Mentoring, ASCO-AACR Clinical Trials Workshop[35]
  • 2015 – American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor Award[36]
  • 2022 – Science Advancement and Leadership Award from the Seattle Chapter of the Association for Women in Science[37]
  • 2023 – Top 23 Women in Academic Entrepeneurship[38]
  • 2024 – Lifetime Achievement Award from the Puget Sound Business Journal[39]
  • 2024 – UW Medicine Inventor of the Year[3]
  • 2024 – ACS Award for Creative Invention from the American Chemical Society[40][41]
  • 2024 – Wayne Kuni Award for Innovation in Cancer Research[42]
  • 2025 – Seahawks Delta Community Captain[43]
  • 2025 – Champion of SITC Award from the Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer[44]
  • 2025 – Brava! Award from the Women's University Club[45]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nora Disis, MD - Faculty Profile". University of Washington. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "How I Became A Physician-Scientist". American Society of Clinical Oncology. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Dr. Nora Disis Named Inventor of the Year". Institute of Translational Health Sciences. May 17, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Directory". Association of American Physicians. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  5. ↑ Schubert, Charlotte. "Longtime UW science leader Nora Disis on gender inequity, translational research, and more". GeekWire. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Changemaker: Nora Disis". CoMotion. University of Washington. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  7. ↑ "Nora Disis, MD". Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  8. ↑ "Research". Cancer Vaccine Institute, University of Washington. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Oncologist Nora Disis honored as UW School of Medicine's Inventor of the Year for work developing cancer vaccines". CoMotion. University of Washington. 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  10. ↑ "Leadership Change for the Institute of Translational Health Sciences". Institute of Translational Health Sciences. February 27, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Dr. Nora Disis Named Inventor of the Year". Institute of Translational Health Sciences. May 17, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Komen Scholars Alumni". Susan G. Komen.
  13. ↑ "New journal JAMA Oncology to debut in 2015". American Medical Association. September 22, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  14. ↑ Ostrom, Carol M.; Spencer, Aaron (September 22, 2014). "UW cancer expert to be editor-in-chief of new JAMA journal". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  15. ↑ Disis, Mary L. "The Future of JAMA Oncology". JAMA Oncology. American Medical Association. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  16. ↑ "JAMA Masthead". JAMA. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  17. ↑ Hampton, Tracy. "Ready to Become Editor in Chief of the New JAMA Oncology". JAMA. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  18. ↑ "Research Professors". American Cancer Society. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "American Cancer Society Awards More Than $41 Million in New Research and Training Grants". American Cancer Society Press Room. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "American Cancer Society Awards 2020 Research Professor Grants". American Cancer Society Press Room. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Simbi Ogbara (September 5, 2023). "The Progress and Future of Breast Cancer Vaccines with Dr. Nora Disis". Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  22. ↑ "New ASCO-SITC Symposium Dives Into Immuno-Oncology Research and Clinical Care". The ASCO Post. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  23. ↑ "Mary L. (Nora) Disis, MD". OncLive. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  24. ↑ "CGTLive's Pillars of Progress 2023: Top News in Oncology". CGTLive. 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  25. ↑ "$600,000 in awards against ovarian cancer for Fred Hutch and UW researchers". Fred Hutch News. April 11, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  26. ↑ Disis, Mary L.; Gooley, Theodore A.; Rinn, Kristine; et al. (2002). "Generation of T-Cell Immunity to the HER-2/neu Protein After Active Immunization With HER-2/neu Peptide-Based Vaccines". Journal of Clinical Oncology. 20 (11): 2624–2632. doi:10.1200/JCO.2002.06.171.
  27. ↑ "Mary L. (Nora) Disis, M.D." Fred Hutch. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  28. ↑ Knutson, Keith L.; Schiffman, Kathy; Cheever, Martin A.; Disis, Mary L. (2002). "Immunization of cancer patients with a HER-2/neu, HLA-A2 peptide, p369-377, results in short-lived peptide-specific immunity". Clinical Cancer Research. 8 (5): 1014–1018.
  29. ↑ Disis, Mary L.; Schiffman, Kathy; Guthrie, Katherine; et al. (2004). "Effect of dose on immune response in patients vaccinated with an HER-2/neu intracellular domain protein-based vaccine". Journal of Clinical Oncology. 22 (10): 1916–1925. doi:10.1200/JCO.2004.09.005.
  30. ↑ Bernhard, Heike; Neudorfer, Jutta; Gebhard, Kerstin; Conrad, Heinz; Hermann, Christiane; Nebel, Kerstin; Disis, Mary L. (2013). "HER-2/neu vaccine-primed autologous T-cell infusions for the treatment of advanced stage HER-2/neu expressing cancers". Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. 62 (10): 1551–1559. doi:10.1007/s00262-013-1465-6. PMC 3945106. PMID 24162107.
  31. ↑ Begley, Sharon (December 12, 2011). "Could This Be The End Of Cancer?". Newsweek. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  32. ↑ Disis, Mary L.; Dang, Yushe; Coveler, Andrew L.; et al. (2023). "A Phase I/II Trial of HER2 Vaccine-Primed Autologous T-Cell Infusions in Patients with Treatment Refractory HER2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer". Clinical Cancer Research. 29 (17): 3362–3371. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-3578. PMID 37093223.
  33. ↑ Disis, Mary L. Nora; Guthrie, Katherine A.; Liu, Ying; et al. (2023). "Safety and Outcomes of a Plasmid DNA Vaccine Encoding the ERBB2 Intracellular Domain in Patients With Advanced-Stage ERBB2-Positive Breast Cancer: A Phase 1 Nonrandomized Clinical Trial". JAMA Oncology. 9 (1): 71–78. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.5143. PMID 36326756.
  34. ↑ Vinh, Tan (November 10, 2022). "Seattle scientist is working on a vaccine to prevent breast cancer". Axios Seattle. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  35. ↑ "AAI Newsletter, December 2012" (PDF). American Association of Immunologists. December 2012.
  36. ↑ "Research Professors". American Cancer Society. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "Mary (Nora) Disis receives Science Advancement and Leadership Award". Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Beaker List: Top Women in Academic Entrepreneurship (2023 Edition)" (PDF). Lili Yang Lab. 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
  39. ↑ "These 15 Puget Sound Health Care Leaders Moved The Needle on Innovation". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  40. ↑ "2024 ACS National Award winners announced". C&EN. September 7, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  41. ↑ "2024 ACS National Award winners: Part I". C&EN. January 5, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Nora Disis receives Wayne Kuni Award for Innovation in Cancer Research". UW Medicine Department of Medicine. November 13, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Delta Community Captain". Seattle Seahawks. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  44. ↑ "40th Anniversary Awards". Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Brava! Awards". Women's University Club. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
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