Tomorrow's Promise, Today's Roswell Park: Leaders Tackling the Biggest Priorities in Cancer Care and Treatment

Roswell Park President and CEO Candace S. Johnson, PhD, today introduced the cancer center's first Physician in Chief --?and the slate of experts appointed to tackle the most pressing opportunities and challenges related to cancer treatment, outcomes and delivery of care.

BUFFALO, N.Y. , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Roswell Park CEO Candace S. Johnson, PhD, introduces center's first Physician in Chief, leaders in strategic areas

    --  Michael Wong, MD, PhD, FRPC, joins Roswell Park from MD Anderson Cancer
        Center
    --  Melanoma and rare skin cancer expert has led numerous clinical trials?
    --  Latest of 20+ experts appointed to build on Roswell Park strengths in
        key areas

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center President and CEO Candace S. Johnson, PhD, today introduced the cancer center's first Physician in Chief --?and the slate of experts appointed to tackle the most pressing opportunities and challenges related to cancer treatment, outcomes and delivery of care.

Medical oncologist and skin cancer expert Michael Wong, MD, PhD, FRPC, joined Roswell Park Nov. 18 as Physician in Chief. A widely respected oncology innovator who has led numerous clinical trials, Dr. Wong was most recently on staff at another National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center -- MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, where he was Professor in the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, and Medical Executive for Integration and Innovative Programs for the MD Anderson Cancer Network.

"Physician in Chief is a new role at Roswell Park, created to give our clinical teams the support and direction that will help us reach our goals for individual and center-wide performance. I can think of no one better to provide that insightful guidance and enthusiastic encouragement than Mike Wong," says Dr. Johnson, who also serves as M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership. "Dr. Wong comes to Buffalo and to Roswell Park after leadership roles at other major cancer centers, and he is simply one of the most respected and accomplished oncologists across the country."

Working closely with Dr. Johnson and other clinical leaders, Dr. Wong will drive the culture and performance of Roswell Park's medical staff with a focus on continual enhancement in patient care, quality and care delivery. He will be part of Roswell Park's physician staff, providing medical oncology care for melanoma patients.

"It is a privilege to be part of a team with such a diversity of talents and expertise," says Dr. Wong. "One of my important tasks is to help build the methodology, infrastructure and culture that will enable every member of our workforce to succeed. This will make a difference for our cancer patients through higher cure rates, enhanced outcomes and faster translation of discoveries and new technologies.?We are already on our?way, and I Iook forward to what we can do together."

Before joining MD Anderson in 2016, Dr. Wong was a faculty member at the UPMC Health System, the University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute;?Assistant Professor and Attending Physician at Roswell Park; and Professor and Adams Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. An innovator with six patents awarded or in process, he is also founder of the biotech company Vali Nanomedical Inc., and has led numerous clinical trials as principal investigator.

He holds a BS in biochemistry, a PhD in experimental pathology and an MD degree, all from the University of Toronto. Following postgraduate training at St. Michael's Hospital, Sunny Brook Medical Center/The Toronto Hospital, Dr. Wong completed a fellowship in molecular biology and biochemistry with the National Cancer Institute of Canada. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians whose numerous awards include the Society of Chemical Industry of Canada's Gold Key Award, the Emmanuel Farber Award, the Clinical Research Society of Toronto's Basic Sciences Award, and recognitions for excellence in teaching, mentorship and patient care.

He is the latest of more than 20 Roswell Park leaders Dr. Johnson has appointed to build on the cancer center's strengths in key areas of clinical care and integration of resources.

"The Roswell Park team today is simply outstanding," Dr. Johnson notes. "From cell therapy and immunotherapy to our focus on patient and family experience, our work to strategically build infrastructure in the most promising and important areas of oncology science and practice has allowed us to attract and promote oncology visionaries who will shape advancements in cancer care across the country and around the globe."

Dr. Johnson recognized the following leaders named or promoted to leadership roles at Roswell Park over the past three years:

    --  Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, Deputy Director, Chair of Medicine, The
        Katherine Anne Gioia Endowed Chair in Cancer Medicine -- recruited in
        2021 from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where
        he served as Director of Cellular Therapeutics and Associate Chair for
        Junior Faculty Development in the Department of Medicine.
    --  Scott Abrams, PhD, Chair of Immunology?-- first joined Roswell Park in
        2008, and later named Professor of Oncology and Distinguished Member in
        the Department of Immunology, named Chair in fall 2024.
    --  Aleodor "Doru" Andea, MD, MBA, Chief of Dermatopathology and Director of
        Molecular Dermatopathology --?recruited in 2023 from the University of
        Michigan-Ann Arbor.
    --  Brian Betts, MD, Vice Chair Strategic Initiatives in Transplant and Cell
        Therapy?--?recruited from the faculty of the University of Minnesota's
        Masonic Cancer Center in 2023.
    --  Amy Case, MD, Chief Wellness Officer?--?on the Roswell Park faculty
        since 2016 and also serving as Chair of Supportive and Palliative Care
        and as The Lee Foundation Endowed Chair of the Department of Supportive
        and Palliative Care, Dr. Case was promoted to CWO in spring 2024.
    --  Betty Chan, PharmD, BCOP, Senior Executive Director, Pharmacy
        Services?--?a graduate of the University of California of Pharmacy with
        more than 30 years' experience, Dr. Chan joined Roswell Park last month
        from Harris Health System in Bellaire, Texas.
    --  Yeong "Christopher" Choi, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice President of Industry
        Partnerships and Technical Director of the Roswell Park GMP Engineering
        & Cell Manufacturing Facility --?returned to Roswell Park in 2023
        following a 5-year tenure in the biotech industry that included
        executive leadership roles at CRISPR Therapeutics and Kite
        Pharma/Gilead.
    --  Marco Davila, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President & Associate Director,
        Translational Research, and Rustum Family Endowed Chair in Translational
        Research?--?recruited in 2022 from Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa,
        Florida, where he'd served as a senior member of the Department of Blood
        and Marrow Transplantation and director of the cell therapy facility.
    --  Julia Faller, DO, MS, Chief Medical Officer?--?on staff at Roswell Park
        since 2009, she was promoted to CMO in early 2024 having served since
        2015 as Chief of Perioperative Services and faculty member in the
        Department of Anesthesia.
    --  Mark Frattini, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Associate Director,
        Clinical Investigation?--?newly joining the Roswell Park faculty and
        leadership team this month from Cellectis Inc., a biotech company
        focused on CAR T-cell cancer therapies.
    --  Shernan Holtan, MD, Chief of Blood and Marrow
        Transplantation?--?recruited from the University of Minnesota's Masonic
        Cancer Center in early 2024 to lead Roswell Park's blood and marrow
        transplant program.
    --  Sheheryar Kabraji, BMBCh, Chief of Breast Medicine?--?joined the Roswell
        Park breast cancer care and research team in 2022 from Dana Farber
        Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School; promoted to Chief in summer
        2024.
    --  Kara Kelly, MD, Associate Director of Translational Research, Care
        Delivery and Outcomes --?recruited from Columbia University in 2016 to
        serve as Professor of Oncology and The Waldemar J. Kaminski Endowed
        Chair of Pediatrics and Professor of Oncology and Chair of the Roswell
        Park Oishei Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Program, she continues
        in these roles and took on additional responsibilities related to
        integration of care and research in spring 2024.
    --  Moshim Kukar, MD, FACS, Chair, Surgical Oncology?--?Roswell Park
        graduate who joined the center's faculty in 2014 after completing a
        fellowship in complex general surgical oncology, and was promoted to CSO
        and Program Director of the Surgical Oncology Fellowship in spring 2024.
    --  Peter Maslak, MD, Senior Vice President, Clinical Systems and
        Infrastructure?--?recruited from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
        in 2023 to lead the Clinical Flow Cytometry Laboratory, and promoted
        this month with new, broader responsibilities supporting cell therapy
        and clinical excellence.
    --  Kenan Onel, MD, PhD, Chief, Clinical Genomics --?Joined Roswell Park in
        2023 as Chief of Clinical Genomics and Director of the Center for
        Precision Oncology & Cancer Prevention; past experience includes an
        executive role in translational genetics at Sema4 Inc. and leadership
        roles with Mount Sinai's Tisch Cancer Institute.
    --  Jenny Romero, MD, Chief of Head & Neck Medicine/General Medical Oncology
        --?mecial oncologist and internist who joined Roswell Park with two
        decades' experience across New York State, most recently at the
        University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical
        Sciences.
    --  Mukund Seshadri, DDS, PhD, Senior Vice President, Cancer Education and
        Training?-- a member of the Roswell Park faculty since?2006, he
        continues to also serve as Chair of?Oral?Oncology, a post he has held
        since 2018, as he now oversees Roswell Park's broad education
        initiatives.
    --  Andrew Storer, PhD, DNP, RN, Chief Nursing Officer; Senior Vice
        President, Patient Care Services?--?on staff at Roswell Park beginning
        2020 and has led nursing programs at Roswell Park since his promotion to
        CNO, SVP and Professor of Oncology in 2023.
    --  Kimberly Sweeney, RN, BN, MBA, Vice President of Patient
        Experience?--?on staff at Roswell Park since 1999, initially as a staff
        nurse providing care for patients with leukemia and blood cancers, she
        was named to this new role overseeing advocacy for patients and
        caregivers in 2023.
    --  David Tear, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief of Hospital & Network
        Operations?--?promoted to this new role earlier this year, he has served
        in leadership roles supporting clinical care and integration of services
        since 2017.
    --  Zhongbo "Jerry" Yang, MD, Chief of Cytopathology -- on staff at Roswell
        Park since he was recruited from the Virginia Commonwealth University
        Health System in 2019, and promoted to Chief in 2023.
    --  Sai Yendamuri, MD, MBA, FACS, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy
        Officer?--?named to this new post in spring 2024, he has worked to
        improve lung cancer care and outcomes as a physician and researcher
        since 2007, and continues to serve as Chair of Thoracic Surgery, a post
        he has held since 2015.

From the world's first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide. Driven to eliminate cancer's grip on humanity, the Roswell Park team of 4,000 makes compassionate, patient-centered cancer care and services accessible across New York State and beyond. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park was among the first three cancer centers nationwide to become a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and is the only one to hold this designation in Upstate New York. To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.

Media Contact

Julia Telford, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, 716-845-4919, julia.telford@roswellpark.org, https://www.roswellpark.org

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SOURCE Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center