6 questions with Theodore DeWeese, Distinguished Alumni of the Year
As a child, he didn't get the chemistry set he wanted, but as an adult he got a trailblazing career in medicine.
This story appears in the spring 2026 issue of MSU Denver Magazine.
For most college students, General Studies courses are the classes they have to take before getting to the ones they want to take.
For Theodore DeWeese, M.D., dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine and a Metropolitan State University of Denver alumnus, a required Science class was the launching pad to a remarkable career in medicine.
DeWeese earned his bachelor’s in Chemistry at MSU Denver in 1986 and M.D. from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Afterward, he joined The Johns Hopkins Hospital as a radiation-oncology resident, became a professor of Radiation Oncology, Oncology and Urology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and later became founding director of the School of Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences. We spoke to DeWeese, MSU Denver’s 2025 Alumni Awards Distinguished Alumni of the Year, about how his childhood desire for a chemistry set led to a career on the cutting edge of modern medicine.
Tell us about your MSU Denver experience.
After graduating from high school, I entered the workforce as a parts person and light mechanic for a local car dealership in Denver. When I decided to pursue higher education, I knew I wasn’t well-prepared. I needed somewhere accessible and willing to give me a real chance. MSU Denver was that place.
Initially, I took some Business classes; I didn’t enjoy them. Fortunately, the University required a science credit to graduate. As a kid, I’d always wanted a chemistry set, but my mother never allowed me to have one. I may have signed up for Chemistry 101 purely out of spite!
I loved everything about that class. My instructor, Dr. Fred Dewey, was wonderful, making the material accessible for someone like me with essentially no background in science. After that one course, I knew I wanted to major in Chemistry, which provided a strong foundation for medical school and a career in medicine and eventually led to running a cancer-biology lab.
What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, and specifically in radiation oncology?
My newfound love of chemistry led to a volunteer research opportunity with biochemist Dr. Clive Solomon at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He introduced me to translational research: laboratory-based research that seeks to solve a known medical problem, often using human cells or tissues.
Dr. Solomon and I discovered a way to test for a complicated disease by using a simple blood test; that experience changed my life. He encouraged me to pursue medical school, believing I had both the passion for medical science and the compassion for people needed to thrive as a physician-scientist. His faith in me helped shape the rest of my career.
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Which advancement do you believe transformed the field of medicine?
Great question! I’d pick the discovery of X-rays and radioactivity as the most important medical advancement of the past 100+ years. They have shaped the way we diagnose, treat and understand diseases, allowing us to see inside the body without surgery. Modern medicine would look completely different and be far less effective without these discoveries.
What challenges do you see looming on the horizon?
Arguably, one of the biggest challenges we face nationally and globally is access to health care and access to high-quality health care. We simply can’t train enough physicians and nurses to meet the growing demand. A system that leverages technology and (artificial intelligence) could dramatically expand access to care and lower costs. Without innovative changes, I fear for the health of many people worldwide.
What role will higher education play in shaping medical innovation and advancements?
Higher education will be the engine that powers the future of medicine. It’s where we shape the thinkers and leaders who design health policies and models of care; educate front-line health care workers; and train the innovators and researchers who will discover the next breakthroughs to ease suffering, relieve the burden of disease and improve health in our country and around the world. And with better health outcomes come greater productivity, stability and safety, allowing communities and citizens to thrive.
What makes you hopeful for the future of medicine?
Students entering medicine and biomedical-research fields today are incredibly talented, focused and deeply motivated to make a real difference in the world. I am inspired by their passion for humanity and willingness to spend an enormous amount of time studying, training and learning in the pursuit of improving the human condition through medicine and research. Their relentless dedication makes me hopeful for the future.
This Q&A has been edited for brevity and clarity.
