Published: February 17, 2026
Norton Cancer Institute has added significant clinical oncology research expertise with the arrival of Kevin T. Breen, M.D., Ph.D., who is expected to become one of the new leaders of Norton Cancer Institute’s early-phase clinical trials program. Dr. Breen brings specialized knowledge in brain cancer immunotherapy from his previous work at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Dr. Breen completed his medical oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, where he focused on patients with brain tumors. His research centers on the interplay between the immune system and cancer, with glioblastoma as his primary area of investigation.
“I gravitated toward patients with brain tumors in particular,” Dr. Breen said. “Those are the patients I wanted to treat and bring new therapies for, because the way we treat glioblastoma has not changed since 2005.”
His research addresses a critical question: While tumors with high numbers of DNA mutations are theoretically easier for the immune system to target, not all such patients respond to checkpoint cancer therapeutics like pembrolizumab and nivolumab.
In recently published work, “Increased Immunogenicity of Hypermutated SB28 Syngeneic Glioblastoma Is Partially Mediated by Alterations in Tumor Chemokine Expression,” Dr. Breen developed a mouse model of glioblastoma that mimics human disease. By knocking out genes involved in Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer), he raised the mutational burden and demonstrated that tumors which previously did not respond to immunotherapy then became responsive. Surprisingly, the knockout of different Lynch syndrome genes caused alterations in different immune related genes and pathways.
“That knowledge might better tell us which glioblastoma or other solid tumor with a high mutational burden might really respond to specific cancer treatment, such as immunotherapy,” Dr. Breen said. “That’s the bedrock of the trials I would want to start here at Norton Cancer Institute.”
Dr. Breen plans to open investigator-initiated clinical trials at Norton Cancer Institute Brain Tumor Center that will enroll patients with various cancer types who have high tumor mutational burden and have exhausted standard of care options. He is currently working with Norton Research Institute leadership to develop these trials.
“The whole idea is not just finding the patients who will benefit from existing drugs, but the model might actually reveal new novel targets,” he said.
Looking ahead, Dr. Breen aims to develop new drugs and potentially establish a specialized clinic for brain metastases to investigate how the immune system interacts differently with tumors that spread to the brain.
Dr. Breen cited Norton Cancer Institute’s collaborative research environment and institutional support as key factors in his decision to join.“The team and the willingness to plug me into whatever resources to do this oncology research” stood out, he said, noting support from colleagues including Aaron C. Spalding, M.D., Ph.D., Kaylyn D. Sinicrope, M.D., and David A. Sun, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Breen describes his care philosophy as patient-centric and evidence-based. His prior work with the FDA evaluating clinical trials brings a rigorous approach to his clinical recommendations.
“I love to get to know each of my patients to understand what their goals in life are, what’s important to them,” he said. “It matters to me that they are seeing their kids, getting outdoors and doing whatever things they love to do.”
Outside of medicine, Dr. Breen is an avid runner who has completed seven marathons. He enjoys time outdoors with his wife and their dog. He also plays acoustic guitar and is a dedicated Detroit sports fan.