Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, FACP, is Professor of Medicine and Professor of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC). He is Co-Director of both the Colorectal Center and the GI Oncology Program as well as Scientific Director of the Cancer Geriatrics Unit at USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, California. He also serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Research at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Lenz received his medical degree from Johannes-Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany, in 1985. He completed a residency in Hematology and Oncology at the University Hospital Tübingen in Germany, a clerkship in Oncology at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a clerkship in Hematology at Beth Israel Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He served subsequent fellowships in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
An active researcher, Dr. Lenz focuses on topics including the regulation of gene expression involved in drug resistance, patients at high risk of developing colorectal cancer, and determination of carcinogenesis, methods of early detection, and better surveillance of these cancers. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Gastroenterology Association, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. He also serves on the National Advisory Board of a number of professional organizations. Dr. Lenz is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and invited papers, reviews, and editorials. In addition to having an NCI-funded laboratory, he is a recipient of the ASCO Young Investigator Award, the ASCO Career Development Award, and the STOP Cancer Career Development Award. He has been listed in the Best Doctors’ database (www.bestdoctors.com) since 2003.