Steve Shak, MD

Steve is a renowned leader in improving cancer outcomes through personalized medicine. He co-founded Genomic Health in 2000 and served as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer until 2020. 

Under Steve’s leadership, Genomic Health applied innovative molecular diagnostic methods on fixed paraffin tumor tissue and rigorous clinical studies to develop the Oncotype DX® breast, prostate, and colon cancer assays, always in partnership with the cancer advocacy community. He also spearheaded the collaboration with the NCI SEER Program to enhance public insights into genomics in clinical practice.

Prior to Genomic Health, Steve served in progressive scientific leadership roles at Genentech, Inc. Throughout his tenure in discovery research and medical affairs, Steve oversaw the application of genetic insights to discover, develop, and commercialize personalized medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. 

Notably, Steve led the clinical team that gained approval for Herceptin®, a targeted biologic treatment for breast cancer. He also initiated the cancer clinical trials of the anti-angiogenesis agent, Avastin®. And Steve led the discovery of Pulmozyme®, a mucus-dissolving enzyme that a standard of care worldwide for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Before joining Genentech, Steve was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the New York University School of Medicine.

Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Amherst College and an M.D. from New York University School of Medicine. He completed his post-doctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco.