Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD

2014 Senior Faculty Scholars

Dr. Lengyel is a gynecologic oncologist who is board certified in general gynecology and gynecologic oncology. He attended medical school at the University of Munich and went to the University of Munich, UCSF, and Stanford for postgraduate training. In 2003, Dr. Lengyel joined the faculty of the University of Chicago. Since that time he has established a clinical practice specializing in radical debulking surgery for ovarian cancer and a translational research laboratory focused on understanding ovarian cancer biology. Recently, his group elucidated how adipocyte/cancer cell interactions promote ovarian cancer metastasis through the metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells. They have also shown that mesothelial cells play a critical role in ovarian cancer metastasis.

Dr. Lengyel has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers, including contributions to Nature, Nature Medicine, JCI, Oncogene, JBC, and Cancer Research. He is also the author of the chapter on ovarian cancer in the current edition of Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology, the standard textbook of the specialty Dr. Lengyel holds 2 RO1 grants, a Burroughs Wellcome Award in translational research, and several other grants from private foundations, including a PPG planning grant from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. He is an ad hoc member of NIH study sections.

Dr. Lengyel is the Arthur L. and Lee G. Herbst Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago.