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Robert F. Todd, III, M.D., Ph.D.
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Executive Summary
In this year’s (2005-2006) annual progress
report of the Division of Hematology/ Oncology,
we pay particular tribute to the success of
three senior women faculty, each of whom has
risen to a level of international stature in
her sub-discipline of medical oncology: Kathleen
Cooney for her contributions to the identification
of genetic factors influencing the development
of prostate cancer; Maha Hussain for spearheading
clinical trials research targeted to the development
of improved forms of therapy for prostate and
other genitourinary cancers; and Sofia Merajver
for her important work in the identification
of novel genetic biomarkers that influence the
metastatic potential of particularly virulent
forms of breast cancer and certain other tumors.
Each faculty member has been recognized as a
leader in our academic community by her promotion
to full professor with tenure within the last
two years.
We also celebrate the local recognition of
another senior member of the Division faculty,
Dean Brenner, who this year was the inaugural
recipient of the Kutsche Memorial Chair of Internal
Medicine. In work performed over the last decade,
Dean has emerged as a leader in the field of
chemoprevention research with a particular emphasis
on the development of novel strategies to prevent
colorectal, esophageal, and cervical cancer.
The impact of Dean’s leadership locally
is reflected by his development and direction
of a highly productive Biomedical Prevention
Program within the University of Michigan Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
In FY06, we welcomed the arrival of Moshe
Talpaz as the Associate Division Chief and Director
of Hematologic Malignancies of the Division
of Hematology/ Oncology, and as Director of
Translational Research for the University of
Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Talpaz’s
recruitment was the culmination of a three year
national search for a senior leader in the field
of translational research in the sphere of the
hematologic malignancies. Given Dr. Talpaz’s
international stature in the field of leukemia
research, his recruitment to Michigan exceeded
our most optimistic goals for the search! Over
the coming years, Dr. Talpaz will provide essential
leadership within the Division and Comprehensive
Cancer Center where he will spearhead new initiatives
in the further development of novel “targeted”
therapy, including the creation of a Translational
Program in Experimental Therapeutics.
In addition to Dr. Talpaz, nine other individuals
joined the faculty of the Division in FY06 where
they are complementing existing scientific initiatives
in cancer biology (Drs. Patrick Hu and Robert
Loberg), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
(Drs. Yasser Khaled and Oleg Krijanovski), and
the experimental therapeutics of breast, genitourinary,
and lung cancers as well as sarcoma and lymphoma
(Drs. Catherine Van Poznak, Kathleen Beekman,
Bryan Schneider, Rashmi Chugh, and Rebecca Elstrom,
respectively). In addition to these ten recruits
arriving in FY06, seven more faculty will take
residence in FY07.
Two members of the Division faculty left their
appointments in FY06 to accept positions of
greater leadership elsewhere: Alvin Schmaier
to become Professor and Chief of the Division
of Hematology/Oncology at Case Western Reserve
University and Michael Clarke to become Professor
and Associate Director of a new Stem Cell Institute
at Stanford University.
Another highlight of FY06 was the successful
competing renewal of the Cancer Center’s
NCI Core Grant which provides invaluable resources
to fund essential core facilities for basic
and clinical research as well as support for
new scientific initiatives. Altogether, FY06
has been a year of continued progress in which
the Department of Internal Medicine and the
Comprehensive Cancer Center have invested in
the success of the Division’s academic
mission. Recognition of our success is once
again reflected by a top twenty ranking in the
US News and World Report of all cancer treatment
centers in the United States.
Robert F. Todd, III, MD, PhD
Frances and Victor Ginsberg Professor of Hematology/Oncology
Professor of Internal Medicine
Interim Chair, Department of Internal Medicine
Full
PDF of the 2005-2006 Annual Report
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