Vivek Subbiah, MD, Joins SCRI to Advance Early-Phase Clinical Research
Vivek Subbiah, MD, has become Chief of Early-Phase Drug Development at Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI). He will oversee the organization's nine drug development units and lead the expansion of early-phase capabilities and programs across a growing research network of more than 1,300 physicians at more than 250 locations in 24 states.
A transformative and experienced leader in cancer clinical trial design and implementation, Subbiah comes to SCRI from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics. During his nearly 15-year tenure there, he held several leadership roles, including Executive Director of Medical Oncology Research in the MD Anderson Cancer Network, as well as Clinical Medical Director of the Division of Cancer Medicine where he oversaw both the outpatient and inpatient clinical care delivery operations for the Phase I program.
"Vivek is a globally recognized key opinion leader for precision medicine and early-phase research," said Howard A. "Skip" Burris, III, MD, President at SCRI. "His role in leading many drugs to FDA approval, including developing tumor-agnostic approaches to target mutations like RET and BRAF, is now benefiting countless patient populations. We look forward to the impact he will continue to make in drug development in his new role at SCRI."
Subbiah has served as the principal investigator in over 100 Phase I/II trials and co-investigator in over 200 clinical trials. He is known for his leadership in several first-in-human and practice-changing studies that directly led to approvals from the FDA, European Medicines Agency, and other agencies across the world. Furthermore, he has an exceptional track record of effectively bringing together multidisciplinary clinical trial teams, early-career physician investigators, and physicians in training, all with a shared commitment to bringing novel therapies to patients with cancer.
Having trained in both pediatric hematology and oncology, as well as adult medical oncology, Subbiah is uniquely positioned to bring cutting-edge therapeutics across the age continuum from adolescent/young adults to older adults with cancer.
"It is an exciting time to be in oncology. We are at the cusp of the next generation of personalized medicine that requires rapid and effective patient access to clinical trials," Subbiah noted. "SCRI's unparalleled reach across the U.S. and U.K., along with an agile organizational culture, will help us to accelerate progress against cancer. With a national network of remarkable oncology physicians, clinical teams, molecular profiling talent, and technology, patients across the country can access innovative and personalized cancer treatments in their own backyard."
The Allison Institute Appoints Researchers to Explore Cancer Breakthroughs
The James P. Allison Institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced the appointment of its first members: James P. Allison, PhD, Padmanee Sharma, MD, PhD, Jennifer Wargo, MD, Sangeeta Goswami, MD, PhD, and Kenneth Hu, PhD. In addition, Garry Nolan, PhD, will join the Allison Institute as an adjunct member.
These members include pioneering researchers who have made notable contributions to science, as well as rising stars on the path toward important breakthroughs. This group will bring diverse expertise in immunobiology to lead groundbreaking research that will deepen our understanding of the immune system and bring the benefits of immunotherapy to all patients.
"We are proud to be joined by these stellar scientists, and we are confident that together we will set the tone for the exceptional research we aim to support at the Allison Institute," said Allison, Director of the Allison Institute and Regental Chair of Immunology at MD Anderson. "Our collective expertise in areas that now will include immune-microbiome interactions, epigenetic mechanisms, and novel methods for spatial transcriptomics and proteomics fits well with our priority research areas, and we look forward to collaboratively advancing the field."
The Allison Institute was launched to drive breakthroughs that will integrate immunobiology across disciplines. Building on a deep commitment to discovery science, members will incorporate laboratory and clinical insights to develop novel and synergetic therapies that enable cures for more patients.
"MD Anderson is committed to integrating exceptional science across disciplines to deliver meaningful advances for patients," said Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at MD Anderson. "The Allison Institute and its members are a testament to that approach, and I look forward to the collective discoveries to come from these researchers working seamlessly together and across the institution."
New members bring diverse expertise, including rising stars and established scientists. Institute members are selected based on alignment with research priority areas and are approved by the Allison Institute director and scientific advisory board.
"Our members represent the top minds from around the world, with diverse skill sets and backgrounds, and we are pleased to expand understanding through our work at the Allison Institute," said Sharma, Director of Scientific Programs for the Allison Institute and professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology at MD Anderson. "Through our unique research model, we aim to unleash their individual brilliance in a collaborative and inclusive environment and to train the next generation of immunotherapy leaders."
In addition to their leadership roles, Allison and Sharma are appointed as core members and will continue to lead impactful research focused on optimizing the use of immunotherapy to improve patient outcomes.
James P. Allison, PhD, is recognized internationally for his foundational discoveries in T-cell biology that launched the field of cancer immunotherapy. For his contributions, he was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His most notable discoveries include determining the T-cell receptor structure and recognizing that CD28 is the major costimulatory molecule that allows full activation of naive T cells and prevents anergy in T-cell clones.
Padmanee Sharma, MD, PhD, is an internationally renowned physician-scientist who pioneered the first neoadjuvant clinical trial with immune checkpoint therapy in 2006, establishing safety and clinical responses in order to advance immunotherapy toward earlier disease stages. Her work also provided the first clinical data demonstrating that bladder tumors can respond to immune checkpoint therapy.
Jennifer Wargo, MD, who joins the Allison Institute as a core member, is Professor of Surgical Oncology and Genomic Medicine and Director of MD Anderson's Platform for Innovative Microbiome and Translational Research (PRIME-TR). A world-renowned physician scientist, Wargo pioneered a new understanding of how the gut microbiome influences responses to immunotherapy and other cancer treatments. Through this research, she and her team have determined how microbiome changes can positively impact immunotherapy responses, leading to an ongoing dietary intervention trial in melanoma.
Sangeeta Goswami, MD, PhD, joining as an assistant member, is Assistant Professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology at MD Anderson. A gifted physician-scientist, Goswami both cares for patients with bladder and kidney cancers and conducts exceptional discovery and translational research that integrates the fields of epigenetics and immunology. She is leading pioneering studies focused on identifying epigenetic pathways that regulate differentiation and function of immune cell subsets.
Kenneth Hu, PhD, joins the Allison Institute as an assistant member. Recruited from the University of California San Francisco through a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) award, Hu will join MD Anderson as Assistant Professor of Immunology. His research interests are founded in developing novel tools to push the boundaries of measurable cell states and interactions. His research at MD Anderson will focus on broadening the applications of this technique to study spatial tumor heterogeneity and its role in dictating responses to immunotherapy.
Garry Nolan, PhD, who joins the Allison Institute as an adjunct member, is the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine. His research interests include hematopoiesis, cancer and leukemia, autoimmunity and inflammation, and computational approaches for network and systems immunology. His efforts are aimed at enabling a deeper understanding of normal immune function, as well as detailed substructures of leukemias and solid cancers and their interactions with the immune system.
Ezequiel Silva, MD, Receives Thorwarth Award for Radiology Leadership
Ezequiel Silva III, MD, FACR, FSIR, FRBMA, RCC, has been honored as the 2023 recipient of the William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, Award by the American College of Radiology Economics and Health Policy Department. This honor recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding contributions to the field of health policy and economics for radiology.
Silva is the first radiologist to serve as Chair of the American Medical Association (AMA)/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee, to which he previously served as an ACR advisor and ACR Panel member to the AMA. He is a past chair of the ACR Commission on Economics and a Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute founding board member.
Silva has been a leading voice for safe and effective health care before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. He was an invited presenter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and White House COVID-19 Task Force "Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19" series and AMA "Coding for Telemedicine and COVID-19" webinar faculty.
"Dr. Silva has earned the respect and trust of physicians, allied professionals, and policymakers, with outstanding collaborative work and contributions to medicine and health care economics," said William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, FACR, CEO of the ACR. "As a nationally recognized expert in health care economics and an exemplary physician, he is a fantastic choice to receive this award."
Silva is also a member of the Radiology Leadership Institute ACR Health Care Economic Milestones Program faculty and a Journal of the American College of Radiology editorial board member. He is a diagnostic and interventional radiologist at South Texas Radiology Group, Medical Director of Radiology at the Methodist Texas Hospital, and Adjunct Professor at UT-Health Long School of Medicine in San Antonio. He is also a past president of the Texas Radiological Society.
The William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, Award, established in 2004 by the ACR Commission on Economics, honors members or staff who show excellence in economics and health policy by way of leadership, diplomacy, and integrity. It is not an annual award, but is given on a merit basis to individuals who deserve recognition for their efforts relating to economics and health policy.
New Members Join Susan G. Komen Research Scholar Group
Nine new "Komen Scholars" will join nearly 50 distinguished leaders in breast cancer research and advocacy. The group helps guide Komen's research and scientific programs with a focus on advancing discoveries to improve breast cancer outcomes. New members include the following:
* Carlos L. Arteaga, MD, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and UT Southwestern Medical Center
* Myles Brown, MD, Harvard Medical School/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
* Susan Domchek, MD, University of Pennsylvania/Perelman School of Medicine
* David Mankoff, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
* Kathy Miller, MD, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
* Harikrishna Nakshatri, BVSc, PhD, Indiana University School of Medicine
* Jeffrey Rosen, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
* Bryan Schneider, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine
* Antonio Wolff, MD, FACP, FASCO, Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Komen Scholars include individuals with expertise in various areas, including breast cancer biology, genomics, biomarkers, health disparities, therapeutics, clinical trials, and imaging. They will lead Komen's scientific peer-review process and act as ambassadors in the U.S. and around the world.
"The Komen Scholars bring their expertise and experience from laboratories, clinics, and as patients," noted Jennifer A. Pietenpol, PhD, Chief Scientific Advisor at Susan G. Komen. "They are incredible assets to the transformative work we're doing at Komen to accelerate research at a time when there is a critical need to advance personalized medicine to help everyone impacted by breast cancer live longer, healthier lives."