{{short description|American physician|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox scientist | name = David Agus | image = David B. Agus World Economic Forum 2013.jpg | image_size = | caption = Agus at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2013 | birth_date = | fields = {{hlist|Personal genomics|Biotechnology|Cancer}} | workplaces = {{bulletedlist|Professor of Medicine and Engineering, USC Keck School of Medicine and USC Viterbi School of Engineering|Founding director and CEO, Ellison Medical Institute}} | alma_mater = Princeton University (1987)<br>University of Pennsylvania | known_for = Co-founder of {{hlist|Sensei|Applied Proteomics|Navigenics|Oncology.com}} Author of {{bulletedlist|''The End of Illness'' (2012)|''A Short Guide to a Long Life'' (2014)|''The Lucky Years'' (2016)|''The Book of Animal Secrets'' (2023)}}| | awards = | spouse = {{marriage|Amy Joyce (née Povich)|1994}} | children = 2 | footnotes = | education = }} '''David B. Agus''' ({{IPA|/ˈeɪgəs/}}) is an American physician and author<ref name=":3" /> specializing in advanced cancer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2020 |title=How a Los Angeles doctor got swept up in the White House's Covid-19 response |url=https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/29/david-agus-trump-white-house-coronavirus-response/ |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=STAT |language=en-US}}</ref> He serves as professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering, as well as the founding director and CEO of the Ellison Medical Institute.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine |url=https://ellison.usc.edu/ |access-date=January 18, 2021 |language=en-US |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125011223/https://ellison.usc.edu/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is also the cofounder of several personalized medicine companies and a contributor to CBS News on health topics.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 9, 2014 |title=Dr. David Agus |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/team/dr-david-agus/ |website=CBS News}}</ref>
Agus has developed new cancer treatments with the aid of private foundations, as well as national agencies including the National Cancer Institute.<ref name="Belvedere2">{{Cite web |last=Belvedere |first=Matthew J. |date=January 13, 2016 |title=Top cancer doctor: Do these things to live longer |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/13/top-cancer-doctor-do-these-things-to-live-longer.html |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> Agus has also served as chair of the Global Agenda Council on Genetics for the World Economic Forum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WVUToday Archive |url=http://wvutoday-archive.wvu.edu/n/2012/09/18/this-year-s-festival-of-ideas-to-provoke-thoughts-on-the-end-of-illness-gay-rights-energy.html |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=wvutoday-archive.wvu.edu}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Agus grew up in Baltimore.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://csq.com/2014/09/dr-david-agus-a-rebel-with-due-cause/|title = Dr. David Agus: A Rebel With Due Cause|last = Seukunian|first = Matthew|date = September 23, 2014|accessdate = May 3, 2023|magazine = C-Suite Quarterly}}</ref> His father was a nephrologist,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beyond the Dome |url=https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2017/03/beyond-the-dome |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009045255/https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2017/03/beyond-the-dome |archive-date=October 9, 2024 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.hopkinsmedicine.org |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> and his grandfather Rabbi Jacob Agus was a theologian and scholar.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1994-06-05 |title=WEDDINGS; Amy J. Povich and David B. Agus (Published 1994) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/05/style/weddings-amy-j-povich-and-david-b-agus.html |access-date=2025-08-09 |language=en}}</ref> He graduated cum laude in molecular biology from Princeton University in 1987 and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|title=1990s Donors|url=http://alumni.med.upenn.edu/PartnersinGiving1990.php|work=Medical Alumni Donors|publisher=Penn Medicine Alumni|access-date=November 27, 2011|archive-date=April 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425113503/http://alumni.med.upenn.edu/PartnersinGiving1990.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> He completed his residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital and completed his oncology fellowship training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="David B. Agus, M.D.">USC. [http://www.doctorsofusc.com/doctor/bio/view/110799/ "David B. Agus, M.D."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126063051/http://www.doctorsofusc.com/doctor/bio/view/110799|date=November 26, 2011}} Retrieved May 7, 2009.</ref> He spent two years at the National Institutes of Health as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute-NIH Research Scholar.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Beyond the Dome|url=https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/beyond-the-dome|access-date=February 9, 2021|website=www.hopkinsmedicine.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=July 10, 2010|title=David Agus, M.D. Profile at UCLA|url=http://dgsom.healthsciences.ucla.edu/institution/personnel?personnel_id=66398|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710131128/http://dgsom.healthsciences.ucla.edu/institution/personnel?personnel_id=66398|archive-date=July 10, 2010|access-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref>
==Career== Agus was an attending physician in the Department of Medical Oncology and head of the Laboratory of Tumor Biology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He was also Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cornell University Medical Center.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Geoffrey Beene {{!}} David Agus |url=https://geoffreybeenefoundation.com/rockstars/?page_id=543 |access-date=February 16, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>
As director of the Spielberg Family Center for Applied Proteomics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, he led multidisciplinary research on the development and use of proteomic technologies to guide individualized medical treatment. The center grew out of earlier clinical projects at Cedars-Sinai, where Agus served as an attending physician in oncology, which observed striking differences between the aggressiveness of prostate cancer in certain patients and their ability to respond to treatment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Agus takes helm at USC Westside Cancer Center and Center for Applied Molecular Medicine |url=https://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=10608.php |access-date=February 16, 2021 |website=Nanowerk}}</ref><ref>Entrepreneurs' Organization. [http://events.eonetwork.org/2009EOArizonaUniversity/learning/Pages/PowerSpeakers.aspx "Power Speakers"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217202225/http://events.eonetwork.org/2009EOArizonaUniversity/learning/Pages/PowerSpeakers.aspx|date=February 17, 2009}} Retrieved May 6, 2009</ref>
In 2009, he joined the University of Southern California,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Masatani |first=Melissa |date=2017-06-13 |title=David Agus awarded 2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor |url=https://hscnews.usc.edu/david-agus-awarded-2017-ellis-island-medal-of-honor |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=USC |language=en-US}}</ref> where he is professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at the USC Keck School of Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2018 |title=David B. Agus, MD | Keck School of Medicine of USC |url=https://keck.usc.edu/faculty-search/david-b-agus/}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=USC - Viterbi School of Engineering - Viterbi Faculty Directory |url=https://viterbi.usc.edu/directory/faculty/Agus/David |access-date= |website=viterbi.usc.edu}}</ref> That year, he became founding director of the Center for Applied Molecular Medicine at USC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-16 |title=Rebels With A Cause - Center for Applied Molecular Medicine |url=https://keck2.usc.edu/applied-molecular-medicine-center/rebels-with-a-cause/ |access-date= |language=en-US}}</ref>
Agus is the founding director and CEO of the Ellison Medical Institute, which researches preventive medicine and treatments for cancer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Agus, M.D. – Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine |url=https://ellison.usc.edu/portfolio/davidagus/ |access-date=February 16, 2021 |language=en-US |archive-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416065929/https://ellison.usc.edu/portfolio/davidagus/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The institute was established in 2016 with a $200 million donation from Larry Ellison.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-12 |title=How tech mogul Larry Ellison's friendship with a USC doctor led to $200-million cancer research gift |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-larry-ellison-usc-cancer-20160512-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Newton |first=Storm |date=October 12, 2023 |title=New research campus to solve global problems |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tony-blair-oxford-oracle-john-bell-los-angeles-b2428827.html |work=The Independent}}</ref>
Agus's research has focused on the use of technology to model cancer and on new cancer treatments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David B. Agus, MD |url=http://www.keckmedicine.org/doctor/david-b-agus/ |publisher=Keck Medicine |access-date=February 22, 2014 |archive-date=March 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302001840/http://www.keckmedicine.org/doctor/david-b-agus/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="cnbc.com2">{{Cite web |last=Belvedere |first=Matthew J. |date=January 13, 2016 |title=Top cancer doctor: Do these things to live longer |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/13/top-cancer-doctor-do-these-things-to-live-longer.html |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> He also maintains an oncology practice to apply his team's research discoveries to the patients under his care.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Dr. David B. Agus, MD |url=https://health.usnews.com/doctors/david-agus-239265 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825094717/http://health.usnews.com:80/doctors/david-agus-239265 |archive-date=August 25, 2016 |access-date=February 16, 2021 |website=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref>
He has founded and co-founded several companies, including Oncology.com,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hsieh |first=Nathaniel |date=October 15, 2012 |title=Prof focuses on cancer prevention |url=https://dailytrojan.com/2012/10/14/prof-focuses-on-cancer-prevention/ |access-date=January 18, 2021 |website=Daily Trojan |language=en-US}}</ref> Navigenics, a personalized medicine company,<ref name="cnbc.com2" /> Applied Proteomics, co-founded with Danny Hillis,<ref name="cnbc.com2" /> Sensei, a wellness and lifestyle company, and Sensei Agriculture were both co-founded with Larry Ellison.<ref name="mauinews.com2">{{Cite web |title=Ellison-Agus' Sensei separating farm, retreat units |url=https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2020/07/ellison-argus-sensei-separating-farm-retreat-units/ |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=mauinews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Writing === Agus has written several books, including ''The End of Illness'' (2012),<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-10-22 |title=Game Changers For Astronomy, War Writing And Public Health |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/10/22/163164345/new-in-paperback-oct-22-28 |work=NPR}}</ref> ''A Short Guide to a Long Life'' (2014),<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Short Guide to a Long Life by David B Agus, David B Agus MD |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781476730950 |website=www.publishersweekly.com}}</ref> ''The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health'' (2016),<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-b-agus/the-lucky-years/ |title=THE LUCKY YEARS {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}</ref> and ''The Book of Animal Secrets: Nature’s Lesson for a Long and Happy Life'' (2023).<ref name="CBS" />
On March 6, 2023, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that there was plagiarism in Agus's book ''The Book of Animal Secrets: Nature's Lessons for a Long and Happy Life'', with the word choice in some instances found to be identical to that in existing sources. In response, Agus postponed the book's publication by Simon and Schuster, which was scheduled for the following day, until the sections could be rewritten.<ref name = CBS>{{cite news|url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dr-david-agus-accused-plagiarism-prompting-recall-the-book-of-animal-secrets/|title = Dr. David Agus accused of plagiarism, prompting book recall|work = CBS News|date = March 6, 2023|accessdate = March 7, 2023}}</ref>
On March 17, 2023, the ''Times'' further reported that Agus's first three books, ''The End of Illness'', ''A Short Guide to a Long Life'', and ''The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health'', contained material that was identical to passages from other books, articles in scientific journals, science blogs, online articles, and Wikipedia articles. Almost all of the copied paragraphs or passages did not attribute the original authors. Agus stated he was not aware of, nor had any involvement in, the passages that were supposedly plagiarised and noted the specific passages were written by his co-writer Kristin Loberg.<ref name="LA Times Purtill">{{cite web |title=Examination of USC doctor's earlier books finds more troubling instances of plagiarism |url=https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2023-03-17/usc-david-agus-books-plagiarism |website=Los Angeles Times |date=March 17, 2023}}</ref> Several other works that co-written by Loberg were found to have contained plagiarism, including David Perlmutter's ''Grain Brain'' (2013), which plagiarized ''The End of Illness''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stein |first=Joel |date=2023-03-24 |title=Giving Up the Ghostwriter |url=https://lamag.com/news/ghostwriter-kristin-loberg-plagerism-steven-agus-sanjay-gupta |access-date=2025-08-09 |website=LAmag |language=en}}</ref> Loberg later issued a public apology taking "complete responsibility" for the oversight.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hershberger |first=Katy |date=2023-03-20 |title=Co-Author Loberg Accepts Blame, As More Plagiarism Is Found In Agus's Three Earlier Books |url=https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2023/03/co-author-loberg-accepts-blame-as-more-plagiarism-is-found-in-aguss-three-earlier-books/ |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=Publishers Lunch |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Television show === Agus hosted the Paramount+ television show ''The Checkup with Dr. David Agus'', which was broadcast in December 2022. In the show, Agus discussed different medical issues with celebrity guests who have experience with those health concerns.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ted Johnson |date=November 29, 2022 |title=Paramount+ To Debut Dr. David Agus Docuseries Featuring Conversations With Ashton Kutcher, Nick Cannon And Other Celebrities About Their Health Struggles |url=https://deadline.com/2022/11/david-agus-ashton-kutcher-cbs-news-paramount-plus-1235183913/ |access-date=November 29, 2022 |work=Deadline |location=}}</ref>
His book was adapted into a television special titled ''The End of Illness with Dr. David B. Agus'' which aired on PBS in 2012.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2018-07-30 |title=David B. Agus, MD |url=https://labusinessjournal.com/news/david-agus/ |access-date=2025-08-09 |website=Los Angeles Business Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2013, Agus became a contributor to CBS News.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reading Room: David Agus ’87 |url=https://paw.princeton.edu/article/reading-room-david-agus-87}}</ref>
== Personal life == Agus is married to actress Amy Joyce Povich, daughter of Maury Povich.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daunt |first=Tina |date=2014-03-21 |title=Paramount’s Star-Studded Gala Raises $9 Million for USC Cancer Researcher |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/paramounts-star-studded-gala-raises-690239/ |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> They have two children.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Melton |first=Mary |date=2016-02-04 |title=Steve Jobs' Former Doctor on Living Longer and Hating Yoga |url=https://lamag.com/well-being/555543 |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=LAmag |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{official|http://www.davidagus.com}} * [http://www.cbsnews.com/team/dr-david-agus/ CBS News website]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agus, David}} Category:1965 births Category:20th-century American Jews Category:21st-century American Jews Category:21st-century American male writers Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers Category:American male non-fiction writers Category:American oncologists Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent Category:CBS News people Category:Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy alumni Category:Jewish American writers Category:Johns Hopkins University people Category:Living people Category:Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni Category:Princeton University alumni Category:University of Southern California faculty Category:Scientists from Baltimore Category:Writers from Baltimore