Roger Stupp

Roger Stupp, MD is the Paul C. Bucy Professor of Neurosurgery and Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is one of the most influential figures in modern neuro-oncology, best known for leading the landmark phase III EORTC/NCIC trial that established temozolomide (TMZ) concurrent with and adjuvant to radiotherapy—now universally known as the "Stupp protocol"—as the standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). Published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, this trial demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival and transformed the treatment landscape for GBM patients worldwide. Beyond the Stupp protocol, he led the pivotal EF-14 trial (published in JAMA, 2015), which demonstrated that adding tumor treating fields (TTFields) via the Optune device to maintenance TMZ further extended overall and progression-free survival in GBM patients who had completed chemoradiotherapy, establishing TTFields as the fourth modality of cancer treatment alongside surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Dr. Stupp has served as a senior investigator at multiple leading European cancer centers, including University of Lausanne and University Hospital Zurich, before joining Northwestern. Dr. Stupp's research program encompasses novel chemotherapy combinations, anti-angiogenic therapy in high-grade glioma, and biomarker-driven treatment stratification. He is a recipient of numerous international honors and has mentored generations of neuro-oncologists. His work on the biology of GBM treatment resistance and on integrating device-based therapies continues to define the frontier of the field.