Cancer care is a sort of personal mission for Tycel Phillips, M.D.
As a teen, he saw how pancreatic cancer affected his grandmother and decided to follow her
example of service and make his career helping others as a physician. When he was a medical
resident, he lost his mother to breast cancer; her experience with chemotherapy inspired him to
pursue research into treatments that are less toxic for patients.
His approach to patients is to listen first to understand their needs and develop the most
beneficial treatment plan.
Dr. Phillips earned his medical degree from Rush University, followed by a residency in internal
medicine at the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago. His fellowship training
in oncology/hematology took place at University Hospitals in Cleveland. Before joining City of
Hope, he was a clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan, where he was
appointed the Maria Reinhardt DeCesare Research Professor of Blood Cancers and Bone
Marrow Transplantation.
Leading clinical trials into new targeted therapies is a vital part of Dr. Phillips’ work. He has
published over 40 peer-reviewed studies and attracted dozens of research grants.
Away from work, Dr. Phillips likes to read, ride his bicycle with his children, exercise and travel.