DR. LAUREN AVERETT BYERS ’94, a Professor and Thoracic Section Chief at MD Anderson Cancer Center, traces her path from a self-described “rule follower” at St. John’s School to a global leader in oncology. Born in Berkeley, CA, she moved to Houston in fifth grade, where her journey at SJS began. 

 

Her scientific foundation was built in the classroom of SJS faculty emerita Alice Kagi, whose excitement for the future of medicine left a lasting impression. DWIGHT RAULSTON ’71, a longtime member of the St. John’s faculty, remembers Byers as “a great student, bright, diligent, and with a strong intellectual curiosity.” Classmates from her years at St. John’s have reflected that even then, her curiosity and discipline stood out, describing her as someone who was “quietly exceptional” and deeply committed to learning. Byers recalls a defining moment years later at Princeton University when a professor, struck by her proficiency, asked who taught her biology. “I said Mrs. Kagi,” she shared, “and he said, ‘you know more biology than most incoming freshmen.’” 

 

While at Baylor College of Medicine, Byers participated in a physician-scientist training program during a historic moment for genetics. “They sequenced an entire human genome and I got to go to the celebration and James Watson was there,” she recalls. That experience helped solidify her commitment to research during a period when scientific discovery was rapidly reshaping medicine. 
 
Her work ultimately led her to focus on small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a disease long associated with devastating outcomes and few effective treatments. For decades, SCLC had seen little progress, despite intense research efforts. Classmates working in medicine recall how meaningful it felt to learn that Byers had entered the field, particularly given how many families had been personally affected by the disease. As one classmate shared, “Small cell lung cancer had such a horrible prognosis for so long. Knowing Lauren was working on it was genuinely reassuring.” 
Moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach, Byers led groundbreaking research demonstrating that SCLC is not a single disease, but four distinct cancers defined by gene expression. This work laid the foundation for identifying targeted therapies for each subtype and helped determine which patients are most likely to benefit from treatments such as immunotherapy. Her research has directly informed clinical trials that have dramatically extended survival for some patients, outcomes described by classmates in oncology as “practice-changing.” 
 
This breakthrough was featured in the National Cancer Institute’s report to Congress as one of the most impactful advances of the decade. Byers’ contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2025 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine, election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the MD Anderson President’s Recognition for Faculty Excellence. As one classmate summarized her career, “She is truly one of the very few leaders in the field.” 
 
In addition to her research, Byers remains deeply committed to patient care, seeing lung cancer patients in clinic each week and supporting them through every stage of their cancer journey. Classmates who have observed her as a clinician note her compassion and willingness to spend as much time as needed with patients, often long after clinic hours have officially ended. 

Despite her international reputation, Byers remains closely connected to the SJS community. She is married to her classmate WILL BYERS ’94 and is a parent to WILLIAM ’28 and MARGARET ’33. Together, they have served as SJS alumni class representatives and remain active volunteers. Byers continues to give back through mentoring, career days, and presentations to the SJS PreMed Club, eager to pass along the love of learning instilled by Mrs. Kagi and other SJS teachers. 
 
She continues to be inspired by her mother’s “pebble in the water” metaphor: the belief that one person’s work can create ripples of impact far beyond their immediate community. As classmates have noted, Byers embodies what St. John’s strives to instill in its students: a commitment not only to excellence, but to using one’s talents in service of others.