Dr. Tom Mikkelsen Recognized as a Worldwide Expert for Brain Cancer

Tom Mikkelsen, M.D., leads Henry Ford’s Precision Medicine program and research efforts on glioblastoma

DETROIT (Aug. 16, 2021) – Tom Mikkelsen, M.D., medical director of the Precision Medicine Program and Clinical Trials Office at Henry Ford Health System, has been recognized as a “World Expert” by Expertscape, an online resource for healthcare professionals and consumers that identifies the world’s leading medical experts. Dr. Mikkelsen was recognized for being among the top .04% of scholars writing about glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, over the past 10 years. 

To determine its rankings, Expertscape examines all medical publications that are indexed in the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database. Expertise is ranked according to the number and type of articles each expert has authored. In total, Expertscape has ranked more than 75,000 glioblastoma scholars worldwide. Those listed by Expertscape have demonstrated their expertise and knowledge of glioblastoma by writing articles that are published in medical literature. 

A prolific glioblastoma researcher, Dr. Mikkelsen serves as the principal investigator of the GBM AGILE (Glioblastoma Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment) trial at Henry Ford Cancer Institute. Henry Ford was first-in-the-world to enroll a patient in GBM AGILE, and earlier this year became first-in-the-world to activate two new treatments for glioblastoma as part of the trial.

A major step forward for precision medicine, GBM AGILE is the first-ever adaptive platform trial for brain cancer and a move away from the traditional, one-size-fits-all approach to clinical trials. The trial, conceived by over 130 key opinion leaders, is conducted under a master protocol, allowing multiple therapies or combinations of therapies from different pharmaceutical partners to be evaluated simultaneously. With its innovative design and efficient operational infrastructure, data from GBM AGILE can be used as the foundation for a new drug application and biologics license application submissions and registrations to the FDA and other health authorities.

An internationally recognized expert in neuro-oncology and precision medicine, Dr. Mikkelsen received his medical degree from the University of Calgary and completed clinical training in neurology at the Montreal Neurologic Institute. He completed his post-doctoral training in Brain Tumor Cellular and Molecular Biology at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Montreal, and then in La Jolla, California. Dr. Mikkelsen co-founded and managed the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center at Henry Ford, including the brain tumor biorepository, an internationally recognized resource for biospecimens and the clinical annotation associated with them, for more than 20 years. This resource was a major contributor to the international, ground-breaking cancer genomics program, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). 

To learn more about Glioblastoma treatment at Henry Ford Cancer Institute, visit henryford.com/services/brain-tumors.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Adkins / (586) 307-2027 / jadkins6@hfhs.org

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About Henry Ford Health System
Founded in 1915 by Henry Ford himself, Henry Ford Health System is a non-profit, integrated health system committed to improving people’s lives through excellence in the science and art of healthcare and healing. Henry Ford Health System includes Henry Ford Medical Group, with more than 1,900 physicians and researchers practicing in more than 50 specialties at locations throughout Southeast and Central Michigan. Acute care hospitals include Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI and Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson, MI – both Magnet® hospitals; Henry Ford Macomb Hospital; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital; and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital.

The largest of these is Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, a quaternary care research and teaching hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center recognized for clinical excellence in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, and multi-organ transplants. The health system also provides comprehensive, best-in-class care for cancer at the Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion, and orthopedics and sports medicine at the William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine – both in Detroit.

As one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, Henry Ford Health System annually trains more than 3,000 medical students, residents, and fellows in more than 50 accredited programs, and has trained nearly 40% of the state’s physicians. Our dedication to education and research is supported by nearly $100 million in annual grants from the National Institutes of Health and other public and private foundations.

Henry Ford’s not-for-profit health plan, Health Alliance Plan (HAP), provides health coverage for more than 540,000 people.

Henry Ford Health System employs more than 33,000 people, including more than 1,600 physicians, more than 6,600 nurses and 5,000 allied health professionals.