Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou

Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, MD, is a Professor in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer and advancing the science of lung cancer prevention. She has played a pivotal role in the clinical development of third-generation EGFR inhibitors, most notably osimertinib, and has contributed to landmark trials that have redefined standard-of-care therapy for patients with EGFR-driven NSCLC at all stages of disease. Papadimitrakopoulou's contributions to the FLAURA and ADAURA trials helped establish osimertinib as the preferred first-line treatment for EGFR-mutant metastatic NSCLC and as adjuvant therapy following resection of EGFR-mutant early-stage disease. Her translational research efforts have focused on characterizing mechanisms of acquired resistance to osimertinib and identifying rational combination strategies to overcome or delay resistance, including work on MET amplification, EGFR amplification, and emerging on-target mutations. She has also been active in studies of chemoprevention and early detection of lung cancer, recognizing the importance of addressing the disease across its full continuum. As a senior investigator at one of the world's leading cancer centers, Papadimitrakopoulou has mentored numerous trainees and junior faculty, shaped department strategy in thoracic oncology, and contributed to national guidelines through ASCO and NCCN. Her expertise bridges early-phase drug development, biomarker science, and global clinical trial conduct, making her a central figure in the EGFR-mutant lung cancer field.