Robert A. Winn was elected president-elect of the Association of American Cancer Institutes.
A statement by Caryn Lerman, the association’s new president and director of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, H. Leslie Hoffman and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research, and associate dean for cancer programs, follows:
First, I hope you will join me in congratulating AACI’s new board members. Robert A. Winn, MD, director of VCU Massey Cancer Center, was selected by AACI members as vice president/president-elect of the AACI Board of Directors. University of Arizona Cancer Center Director Joann Sweasy, PhD, was appointed to join the board, completing the remainder of Dr. Winn’s term as a regular board member. Their new positions are effective immediately.
In October during the 2021 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, three additional cancer center directors will begin their terms on the AACI board: Marcia Cruz-Correa, MD, PhD, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center; Ruben Mesa, MD, FACP, Mays Cancer Center, UT San Antonio Health MD Anderson Cancer Center; and Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, Abramson Cancer Center. Drs. Cruz-Correa, Mesa, and Vonderheide will replace outgoing board members Leon Platanias, MD; Randall Holcombe, MD, MBA; and Tom Loughran, MD.
AACI also welcomed the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine to its roster. Located in New York City, the Meyer Cancer Center is a matrix cancer center that includes four research focus areas: Cancer Biology; Cancer Genetics & Epigenetics; Experimental Therapeutics; and Cancer Prevention & Control. The center, directed by Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, brings AACI’s membership number to 103.
AACI’s Corporate Roundtable is also growing. Fulgent Genetics is the newest addition to the Corporate Roundtable, which provides a forum for AACI cancer centers to address topics of mutual interest with their industry colleagues. Established in 2011, Fulgent develops a wide range of flexible, effective, and affordable genetic testing and develops biomarkers and therapeutics for cancer and other diseases.
I look forward to seeing you all virtually at the 2021 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting in October, and to continue working with you toward our shared mission of accelerating progress against cancer.
