Dr. Sawyers is an Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Chair in Human Oncology and Pathogenesis, and Chair of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

A leading researcher in molecularly targeted approaches to treat cancer, Dr. Sawyers has identified cell signaling components critical to the growth of cancer cells in chronic myeloid leukemia, prostate and other cancers. His efforts have led to the development of multiple FDA-approved inhibitors in clinical use today, including imatinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and the antiandrogen drug enzalutamide for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Dr. Sawyers is a former AACR president and was elected to the 2014 class of Fellows of the AACR Academy. He assumed the Presidency of AACR Academy in 2021.

Dr. Sawyers received a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.