A world-renowned molecular biologist, neurosurgeon and researcher, Michael Taylor, MD, PhD, has been appointed as Professor of Pediatrics and Neurosurgery and inaugural Director of the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Program at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.
He leads a research team pursuing novel treatments for aggressive and difficult-to-treat pediatric brain tumors. He will remain clinically active as a pediatric neurosurgeon at Texas Children’s.
Dr. Taylor joined the institutions from the University of Toronto as part of a prestigious recruitment grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) that brings preeminent cancer researchers from around the world to Texas.
He has nearly 30 years of experience investigating the molecular genetics of pediatric brain tumors — primarily focused on medulloblastoma and ependymoma, two of the most common malignant brain tumors — and identifying breakthroughs in prevention and treatment. His research has been published in more than 400 peer-reviewed journals and cited more than 55,000 times. It prompted the World Health Organization to adopt a new molecular classification that is now the global standard for medulloblastoma and ependymoma.
“Throughout my career, I have been inspired by the cancer research at Texas Children’s, and I am honored to join this collaborative, cutting-edge team,” Dr. Taylor said. “I look forward to continuing my research into preventing these aggressive cancers. My vision is that no family should ever have to face this devastating diagnosis.”
Dr. Taylor’s research takes place within the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, one of the largest such centers in the U.S. and consistently ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report.
For 2023-2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Texas Children’s Pediatric Neurosurgery Division second in the nation. With Dr. Taylor’s arrival, it is now the largest and remains one of the most active and internationally esteemed pediatric neurosurgery teams in the U.S.