Director, University of Pittsburg Hillman Cancer Center
Associate Vice Chancellor for Cancer Affairs, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Member, National Academy of Medicine
UAMS College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus
Since graduating from the UAMS College of Medicine in 1991, John Byrd, M.D., has built a distinguished career in cancer care, research, and education. He currently serves as director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, one of the nation’s leading NCI-designated cancer centers.
An internationally recognized physician-scientist, Dr. Byrd has spent nearly three decades advancing the treatment of leukemias and other blood disorders. His work has fundamentally changed how physicians treat Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (ALL), helping move patients from decades-old chemotherapy regimens toward targeted therapies that are more effective and less toxic.
Dr. Byrd’s research accomplishments are extraordinary. He has authored more than 700 scientific publications, holds 23 patents, and leads a highly translational laboratory focused on drug development for CLL. He also serves as chief medical officer of the Beat AML® Master Clinical Trial, a nationally recognized precision medicine initiative that is redefining treatment approaches for ALL.
Dr. Byrd is co-chair of the Leukemia Committee and Leukemia Correlative Science Committee in the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and a member of the NCI Leukemia Steering Committee.
Before joining UPMC Hillman, Dr. Byrd served as professor and chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and chief of internal medicine at UC Health. Prior to Cincinnati, he spent more than two decades at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. As founding director of the Division of Hematology and holder of the D. Warren Brown Chair in Leukemia Research, he helped establish Ohio State as an international leader in leukemia research and treatment.
Dr. Byrd’s accomplishments have earned national and international recognition. In 2025, he received the Excellence in Scientific Service Award from Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) for his pioneering contributions that changed the standard of care for leukemia patients. That same year, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in health and medicine.
Dr. Byrd is a UAMS College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus and a recipient of the Hendrix College Odyssey Medal for Research.
After graduating from UAMS, Dr. Byrd completed a residency in internal medicine and fellowship training in hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplantation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, followed by advanced translational laboratory training at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Byrd’s career exemplifies the impact a UAMS College of Medicine graduate can have on medicine, science, and patient care. Through innovation, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to improving lives, he continues to help shape the future of cancer treatment worldwide.