After obtaining his MD from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Gibson completed an Osler Medical Residency and Medical Oncology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital while concurrently earning a PhD in Clinical Investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He leads local and national therapeutic trials for aero-digestive cancers, all with translational laboratory components. His laboratory experiences at the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences led to a number of publications regarding hormone receptor biology and DNA repair, which led to his translational research focus.

His national presence in the field of aero-digestive cancers includes: Leadership of the Upper GI Working Group of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (through which he was the PI on E2205); membership on the NCI Esophago-Gastric Task Force; and membership on the Head and Neck Committee of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and service on the NCI Central IRB, Other roles at prior institutions include: Chairmanship of the Hillman Cancer Center (HCC) Data, Safety and Monitoring Committee, the HCC Protocol Review Committee, the University of Pittsburgh IRB and the HCC Clinical Research Oversight Committee (all at UPMC). While at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, given his proven leadership and communication skills, he was appointed as the Medical Director of the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center Clinical Trials Unit (CTU). The CTU provides core services to Case CCC clinical investigators, including protocol writing, regulatory support, research nursing and data management, and QA oversight. In this role, Dr. Gibson collaborates with the Administrative Director of the CTU to manage the activities of more than 60 staff members, including research nurses that serve approximately 10 regional community clinical sites that participate in clinical trials.

He was recruited from these leadership roles at University Hospitals to become the Director of Translational Research in Head and Neck Malignancies at Vanderbilt. In this role he will lead and/or supervise all trials within the interventional research portfolio.

The overall goals of his research efforts are to bring novel therapeutics to the participate in clinical trials. The overall goals of his research efforts are to bring novel therapeutics to the treatment of aero-digestive cancers based on rational pre-clinical investigation and in the setting of a focus on patient safety and outcomes.