Joseph P. McGuirk, DO, FACP

Joseph P. McGuirk, DO, is a nationally recognized leader in hematologic malignancies and a pioneer in cellular therapeutics. Over more than three decades, he has helped transform the treatment of blood cancers, building one of the nation's premier cellular therapy programs and establishing The University of Kansas Cancer Center as a global leader in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, or CAR T-cell, therapy. A 1990 graduate of Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine, McGuirk has dedicated his career to advancing innovative cancer treatments and improving outcomes for patients with blood cancers.

After completing his residency at Yale University and fellowship training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, McGuirk joined the University of Kansas Cancer Center, where he serves as division director of hematologic malignancies and cellular therapeutics and holds the Schutte-Speas Professorship in Hematology-Oncology.

McGuirk has led more than 40 clinical trials advancing stem cell transplantation and cellular therapies. His team enrolled the first patient in the world in a CAR T-cell clinical trial and continues to lead groundbreaking research in the field. He serves as principal investigator for numerous stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy studies, including three investigator-initiated clinical trials supported by U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigational new drug applications.

He has authored landmark research published in leading medical journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine and The Lancet and Blood. Several of these studies contributed to the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of CAR T-cell therapies. McGuirk also chaired the national CAR T initiative through the Association of American Cancer Institutes, helping shape clinical practice and policy nationwide.

Through his pioneering research, clinical leadership and commitment to innovation, McGuirk continues to advance the future of cancer care while expanding access to lifesaving cellular therapies for patients around the world.