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Davidson
Nancy E. Davidson, MD

Nancy E. Davidson, MD

Medical Oncology

  • Physician, Fred Hutch
  • Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
  • Raisbeck Endowed Chair for Collaborative Research, Fred Hutch
  • Member, Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center (IIRC), Fred Hutch
  • Member, Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center (TDS IRC), Fred Hutch, Fred Hutch
  • Affiliate Investigator, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutch

About

Dr. Nancy Davidson is executive vice president and chief academic officer at Fred Hutch. As a breast cancer oncologist, she provides patient care while leading research on the biology of breast cancer and advancing clinical trials that have shaped standards of treatment.

Background

Dr. Davidson’s work spans patient care, research and leadership, all centered on improving outcomes for people with breast cancer. She oversees all faculty affairs and education at Fred Hutch. She also serves as a bridge builder across the cancer treatment and research programs of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium.

Dr. Davidson’s scientific work has focused on epigenetics (how changes in gene activity, rather than changes in the DNA sequence itself, influence cancer risk and tumor behavior) and on understanding how hormones drive breast cancer growth.

Her research team was the first to show how the activity of an estrogen receptor gene is regulated by epigenetic factors, helping explain how breast cancers respond to hormonal signals. She has also made foundational contributions to understanding how estrogen deprivation and other therapies can trigger apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in breast cancer cells. Her lab discoveries helped pave the way for new clinical trials of treatments that target hormonal pathways.

Dr. Davidson has served as a lead investigator or co-investigator on several practice-changing clinical trials, including studies that established specific combinations of chemotherapy and hormone therapy for pre-menopausal women with breast cancer. Her work has played a key role in defining new standards of care.

Dr. Davidson is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has served as past president of both the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Area of Clinical Practice
Breast cancer

“My hope and goal in life is that no one has to suffer from a catastrophic illness.”

— Dr. Davidson

What do you want patients to know about working with you?

My office is a safe space where you can share your fears and concerns and ask as many questions as you need to gain peace of mind. I will explain your condition and the treatment options in a way that you can understand, so you can use the information to help you choose the path that’s right for you. Throughout my career, I’ve held a number of leadership roles and made several discoveries in the lab, yet one of the things I’m most proud of is the quality care I’ve given to patients with breast cancer.

Why did you become a physician-researcher?

Science runs through my veins. I’m the daughter of two geologists. As a young girl, I spent several summers camping with my father while he did his fieldwork. Years later during medical school, I got a summer job at the National Cancer Institute, and what I saw there set fire to my imagination. Researchers had grown new cell models of breast cancer in a petri dish with the goal of developing potential new treatments that they could then bring to patients. For the first time, I witnessed a bridge between what happens in the lab and the clinic, and I wanted to walk that bridge myself. I set out to be a physician-researcher so my work could have a direct, positive impact on people’s lives. That passion has never waned.

Diseases Treated

Breast Cancer

Past President, American Association for Cancer Research, 2016-2017

Past President, American Society Clinical Oncology, 2007-2008

My laboratory focus has been on the role of epigenetics in breast cancer, especially the role of aberrant DNA methylation and histone modifications in hormone resistance using human breast cancer cell lines as a model system. These preclinical studies have advanced to early phase clinical trials assessing the role of epigenetic modifiers for treatment of breast cancer. Through my role as a member and chair of the Breast Committee for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group I have served as a co-investigator or lead investigator for a number of practice-changing breast cancer trials. These include trials of optimal endocrine therapy for premenopausal hormone-responsive breast cancer, optimization of endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women, use of taxanes in the adjuvant setting, and utility of trastuzumab for early HER-2 positive breast cancer. As a co-founder of the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC) I have contributed to the development of early phase biospecimen-rich translational trials in breast cancer. I am an active participant in the development of evidence-based clinical pathways in breast cancer treatment and helped to spearhead a focus on value of cancer care through the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Languages

English

Education and Experience

Fellowship, Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute 

Residency, Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

Internship, Internal Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

MD, Harvard Medical School

BA, Molecular Biology, Wellesley College

Board Certification

Medical Oncology, 1985; Internal Medicine, 1982, American Board of Internal Medicine

Awards

The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Allen S. Lichter Visionary Leader Award
Dr. Davidson was the 2018 recipient of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Allen S. Lichter Visionary Leader Award. This award recognizes a recipient who has drastically changed the oncology field or who has made significant contributions to advance the mission of ASCO, CancerLinQ LLC, or Conquer Cancer through the honoree’s ability to lead and inspire.

Elected to the 239th class of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Davidson was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in spring of 2019. One of the nation’s oldest learned societies, the Academy was founded in 1780 to honor accomplished individuals and “to engage them in advancing the public good.”

National Cancer Institute’s Rosalind E. Franklin Award
In 2010, the National Cancer Institute presented Dr. Davidson with the Rosalind E. Franklin Award. This prize honors the commitment of women in cancer research.

Clinical Trials

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians and researchers. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Davidson

Publications

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians and researchers conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by others in their field and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Davidson's Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dietitians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders. 

Meet Other Providers

Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.

More About Insurance

Stories

All news
Dr. Nancy Davidson receives national cancer award
Dr. Nancy Davidson receives national cancer award Fred Hutch leader accepts the David Karnofsky Science of Oncology Award, ASCO’s highest scientific honor and shares ‘lessons from the puzzle’ of endocrine therapy for early-stage hormone-responsive breast cancer June 4, 2026
Breast Cancer Research Foundation to fund seven Cancer Consortium researchers
Breast Cancer Research Foundation to fund seven Cancer Consortium researchers BCRF awards $2.6M in grants to Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium researchers December 10, 2025
With respiratory infections rampant, experts urge masking and vaccination
With respiratory infections rampant, experts urge masking and vaccination Limited disease data makes it hard to accurately assess flu trends March 13, 2025

Contact Information

For assistance, contact:

Kalani Cattell, Executive Assistant
Office of Dr. Nancy E. Davidson

206.606.1742