Rate My Professor Max Diehn

Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD, serves as the Jack, Lulu, and Sam Willson Professor and Professor of Radiation Oncology (Radiation Therapy) at Stanford University. He earned his AB in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College in 1997 and his MD and PhD in Biophysics from Stanford University in 2004. He completed his internship in internal medicine and residency in radiation oncology at Stanford University, followed by board certification in radiation oncology in 2010. His laboratory focuses on cancer stem cell biology and the development of genomics-based biomarkers for cancer detection, prognosis, and prediction of therapy response, with emphasis on lung, breast, and gastrointestinal cancers. Research interests include liquid biopsy technologies using circulating tumor DNA, cancer genomics, and mechanisms of resistance to radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted agents. Diehn holds additional appointments as a member of Bio-X, the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and the Stanford Cancer Institute. He has received numerous honors, including the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, election to the National Academy of Medicine, the Sidney Kimmel Scholar Award, and the Doris Duke Clinical Scientist Development Award. His work has contributed to clinical trials translating biomarker discoveries into personalized cancer care. Diehn also participates in graduate program admissions committees at Stanford and maintains clinical expertise in thoracic oncology and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.

Key administrative roles include service on the Cancer Biology Graduate Program Admissions Committee, the Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program Admissions Committee, and the Medical Scientist Training Program Admissions Committee. His professional education and training are entirely at Stanford following undergraduate studies at Harvard. Diehn's research employs next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, and preclinical models to address unmet clinical needs in oncology, with discoveries advancing non-invasive cancer monitoring and treatment personalization.