United States
I have served in multiple leadership positions, including the following in reverse order: Director, Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University; Deputy Director, Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska; Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Co-Leader Translational Oncology Program and Associate Director, Knight Cancer Institute of Oregon Health & Sciences University; and Director of Experimental Therapeutics and Leader Prevention Program, Lurie Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Through these roles I have elevated institutions, advanced fields, and fostered the careers of many, especially those who come from unique backgrounds, and bring unique potential. To date my funding portfolio is over $54M for projects I have led. At Northwestern University, I founded/directed one of only five NCI-funded Early Phase Chemoprevention Programs, growing it to a $23M, nineteen institution program spanning two countries. My team used it to advance the field and the careers of junior investigators. At Oregon Health & Sciences University, my team recruited 37 faculty, growing it to a Division of 103. From a $15M donation we launched a precision oncology program where we conducted real-time multi-omic analysis and delivery of therapy to treat refractory patients, thereby inducing responses and creating a new treatment paradigm (Cancer 2020). My leadership roles and these metrics contributed to us achieving NCI designated Comprehensive status for our Cancer Institute for the first time. At the Buffett Cancer Center I was tasked with creating a Cancer Prevention and Control Program, and linking it to our Community Outreach and Engagement efforts. We now have a CPC program approved by our EAB. We then created a Phase I Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) proposal to NIH that addresses the health care needs of rural dwellers, forming the Nebraska Center for Cancer Prevention. This program is designed to train the next generation of researchers, and was given a fundable score on review.
Director, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, Vice President for Cancer Services and Vice Dean for Cancer, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University Goals are to build upon the excellence of Stony Brook University and its Cancer Center. We will do this by serving the needs of people with or at risk for cancer, advancing research in a manner that addresses those needs and drives multiple fields, educating the next generation, and doing by creating an institutional environment that draws people to it.
As Associate Director, served on team directing activities of a NCI designated Cancer Center, achieving NCI designated Comprehensive status for the first time. Directed a division of hematology/oncology. Recruited 37 faculty, building it to 103 faculty in seven locations, expanding new patient referrals by 23%, increasing accrual to therapeutic trials by 50%, increased funding portfolio to $26M, not including acquiring a $15M donation to drive a multi-omics/multi-therapeutics novel trial concept, the SMMART Trial (Bergan: trial PI).