Andras A. Heczey, MD
- Cancer and Blood Disorders
Director, Liver Tumor Program
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine
Office location:
1102 Bates Avenue
Houston, TX 77030
Get to know Andras A. Heczey, MD
Dr. Andras Heczey is a physician-scientist and full-time faculty in the Department of Pediatrics of Baylor College of Medicine, Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. He is a member of the multidisciplinary solid tumor team and the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy (CAGT).
News Articles
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor College of Medicine | Fellowship | Pediatric Hematology Oncology | 2012 |
| Children's Hospital of Los Angeles | Residency | Pediatrics | 2009 |
| Semmelweis Medical University, Hungary | Residency | Infectious Disease | 2006 |
| Semmelweis University | Medical School | Doctor of Medicine | 2002 |
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy (ASCGT) | Member |
| American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) | Member |
| American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (ASPHO) | Member |
| Children's Oncology Group (COG) | Member |
Board Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics
American Board of Pediatrics - Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Awards
2000 Good Student and Good Athlete of the Republic of Hungary, Ministry of Education of Hungary
2009 Associates and Affiliates Award of the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, for scientific knowledge, clinical judgment and excellence in human relations
2010 Tumor Board Award, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center
2011-2012 Chief Fellow, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center
2015 Fellows’ Excellence in Education Award, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center
2017 Faculty Recognition Award, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center
2017 Biotherapeutics Award, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.
Highlights
Research Area:
Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy
Liver Tumors
Neuroblastoma
Dr. Andras Heczey's research focuses on developing novel treatments for children with solid tumors by redirecting the immune system to attack and kill cancer cells by using genetically-engineered T cells and Natural Killer T cells.
As the Director of the Liver Tumor Center, Dr. Heczey developed a strategy to target hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma with genetically-engineered T lymphocytes. He is currently optimizing this strategy for a smooth transition into the clinic. He developed bispecific T cell engagers and chimeric antigen receptors which specifically target hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma when expressed in T cells. His goal is to cure all patients with liver cancers by translating these methods from the laboratory setting to the patient care clinic. He was the corresponding author of Glypican-3-specific CAR T cells co-expressing IL15 and IL21 have superior expansion and antitumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the most highly cited Cancer Immunology Research articles published in 2020 and 2021.
In regards to neuroblastoma, Dr. Heczey studied and published the first adoptive immunotherapy approach utilizing Natural Killer T cells (NKT cells) that are genetically-modified to attack neuroblastoma. He aims to transition this approach from bench-to-bedside as a Phase 1/2a clinical trial.