Pier Paolo Pandolfi Moves to Direct a new Cancer Genetics Program at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School

Abstract

Leading Cancer Researcher Joins BIDMCBOSTON - Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, a leading scientist in the field of cancer genetics, will join the faculty of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Pandolfi comes to BIDMC from New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he holds the Albert C. Foster Chair in Cancer Biology and Genetics and is Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences as well as Professor of Pathology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University."We are extremely pleased to announce that after a far-reaching international search, we have recruited Dr. Pandolfi to BIDMC and Harvard Medical School," said BIDMC Chief Academic Officer Jeffrey S. Flier, MD, adding that Pandolfi's laboratory will begin its move to BIDMC over the summer. "Dr. Pandolfi's reputation among cancer geneticists is world-renowned, and the research from his laboratory has been seminal in defining the molecular mechanisms and genetics underlying a number of types of cancer."In his new position, Pandolfi will maintain joint appointments in the Departments of Medicine and Pathology at BIDMC, including serving as Director of a new Cancer Genetics program. He will also serve as Associate Director of Basic Research for BIDMC's Cancer Center and will be a Professor of Medicine and Pathology at Harvard Medical School (HMS)."Dr. Pandolfi, at a relatively early age, has become a world leader in cancer genetics and in cancer cell biology," notes Lewis Cantley, PhD, Chief of the Division of Signal Transduction at BIDMC and Professor of Medicine and Systems Biology at HMS. "His research has led to major breakthroughs in our understanding of how mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes result in leukemias, lymphomas and solid tumors. In his new roles as Associate Director of BIDMC's Cancer Center and head of the cancer genetics program, Dr. Pandolfi will greatly facilitate our mission to translate breakthroughs in the molecular diagnosis of cancer into individualized treatment for patients."In 1998, Pandolfi's laboratory uncovered the molecular underpinnings of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), findings that led to the development and testing of novel therapeutic strategies for this once-fatal disease, now readily curable. His work has also extended to lymphomas and solid tumors, most recently a greater understanding of the role of the PTEN tumor suppressor gene in prostate cancer."Beth Israel Deaconess offers the perfect scientific environment for translational cancer research," says Pandolfi. "I'm thrilled to be joining the Harvard Medical School community, where the opportunities for collaboration among leading scientific investigators are so robust."Existing cancer treatments already utilize targeted therapy," he adds. "Beginning with the use of retinoic acid in APL, and now extending to the use of Gleevec for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, cancer therapies have been routinely prescribed based on the individual patient.As our fundamental understanding of cancers continues to develop, I'm extremely optimistic that we will indeed produce a new class of pharmaceutical agents specifically tailored to individuals' genetic profiles." "This recruitment reflects BIDMC's deep commitment to cancer research," adds BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy. "Dr. Pandolfi is an extraordinarily accomplished scientist performing leading-edge research. His arrival will further strengthen and enhance the efforts of our world-class investigators who are working in pursuit of customized cancer treatments."A native of Rome, Pandolfi received his MD in 1989 and PhD in 1995, both from the University of Perugia, Italy. He completed post-graduate work at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London, before joining the faculty of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University in 1994.Pandolfi is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute MERIT Award in 2005, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America Stohlman Scholar Award in 2002 and the Weizmann Institute of Science: Sergio Lombroso Prize for Cancer Research in 2001. In 2006, Pandolfi was elected as a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians. He presently serves on the editorial of boards of the medical journals Blood, Cancer Science and The Journal of Clinical Investigation.Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and ranks third among independent hospitals nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. BIDMC is clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a research partner of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox.For more information, visit http://www.bidmc.harvard.edu.