Associate Director, Clinical Research

The Associate Director for Clinical Research is appointed by and reports to the director of the Lurie Cancer Center. In this role, Devalingam Mahalingam, MD, works closely with Lurie Cancer Center’s Deputy Director, Maha Hussain, MD, and Director of the Clinical Trials Office, Reem Karmali, MD, MS, to optimize clinical research and accelerate the development of clinical trials across the Cancer Center.

Dr. Mahalingam is a Professor of Medicine in the Hematology and Oncology Division at the Feinberg School of Medicine and a member of the Translational Research in Malignancy (TRIM) program. His work is deeply rooted in early‑phase drug development with a focus on gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. He dedicates significant effort to clinical research involving novel compounds, studying combination strategies, therapeutic resistance, mechanisms of apoptosis and autophagy, and oncolytic viral therapy and its immunomodulatory effects.

Dr. Mahalingam has an extensive publication record, including recent work in first‑in‑human drug studies, immunotherapy responsiveness in microsatellite‑stable tumors, and targeted therapy in gastroesophageal cancers. His translational approach bridges laboratory findings with early clinical evaluation to advance new therapies for patients.