Bruce Johnson, M.D., Director, Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology
Bruce Johnson, M.D., Director, Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology
Now directing the Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare Thoracic Oncology Program — a cooperative effort including DFCI , Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) — Johnson came to Boston in January 1999 after serving for three years as the Head of the Lung Cancer Biology Section in the National Cancer Institute's Division of Clinical Sciences.
His research focuses on the causes, progression, and treatment of lung cancer, as well as patient outcomes. The Thoracic Oncology Program supports a multidisciplinary approach to evaluating patients, who have an opportunity to meet with a team of specialists that usually includes a thoracic surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, pulmonologist, clinical nurse specialist, social worker, and a physical therapist. This collaborative approach provides an evaluation and a recommended course of action to the referring physician within 48 hours. In addition, the thoracic oncology team is involved with a broad range of cutting-edge treatments and ongoing clinical research.
Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard and his M.D. from the University of Minnesota. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago Hospitals and the National Cancer Institute.
Stanley Korsmeyer, M.D., Cancer Immunology and AIDS/Adult Oncology
Stanley Korsmeyer, M.D., Cancer Immunology and AIDS/Adult Oncology
One of the nation's most prominent and productive cancer researchers, Korsmeyer joined the Institute in June 1998. He was named the first Sidney Farber Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and directs the new DFCI Program in Molecular Oncology.
The program's goal is to develop small molecules, which control cell death and cell differentiation pathways, as novel approaches to cancer therapy.
Korsmeyer came to Dana-Farber and Harvard from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he was chief of the Division of Molecular Oncology and professor of medicine and pathology. A 1972 graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana, he earned his M.D. from the University of Illinois, Chicago, in 1976.
His studies of apoptosis — the natural process of cell death — have stimulated new understanding of cells' genetic programming and led to different approaches to treatment. Dean of Harvard Medical School Joseph Martin, M.D., Ph.D., has described Korsmeyer's findings on cell death as helping to "blaze a trail that has led to one of the most rewarding fields in cancer research today."
Thomas Look, M.D., Director, Center for Pediatric Cancer Genetics
Thomas Look, M.D., Director, Center for Pediatric Cancer Genetics
A pioneer in the genetics of children's cancers, Look came to Dana-Farber in June 1999 after 22 years at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
His studies have demonstrated that genetic mutations can vary widely for many types of cancer, resulting in markedly different prognosis and treatment. By understanding more about the distinct mutations associated with various types of cancer, physicians may someday be able to diagnose precise forms of the disease and tailor treatments to individual patients. He is expanding his research on genetic mutations that underlie leukemia, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma (a nerve cell malignancy) in children to malignancies that affect people of all ages.
Look received his medical training in pediatrics at the University of Michigan. Commenting on his move to Dana-Farber, he said, "I'm impressed by the spirit of scientific inquiry. There's a real sense that the work being done here — particularly in translating new genetic knowledge into better therapies — will make a difference in people's lives."
The two most recent senior faculty member arrivals — Yoshihiro Nakatani, Ph.D., Cancer Biology, and Harald von Boehmer, M.D., Ph.D., Cancer Immunology and AIDS — are featured in "Dateline: DFCI ". Other leading researchers who have recently joined Dana-Farber include:
Koichi Akashi, M.D., Ph.D., Cancer Immunology and AIDS (CIA)
Michael Eck, M.D., Ph.D., Cancer Biology (CB)
Massimo Loda, M.D., Adult Oncology (AO)
Qiufu Ma, Ph.D., (CB)
Matthew Meyerson, M.D., Ph.D., (AO)
Kornelia Polyak, M.D., Ph.D., (AO)
David Rowitch, M.D., Ph.D., Pediatric Oncology (PO)
Rosalind Segal, M.D., Ph.D., (PO)
William Sellers, M.D., (AO)
Ramesh Shivdasani, M.D., Ph.D., (AO/CB)
Peter Sicinski, M.D., Ph.D., (CB)
Marc Vidal, Ph.D., (CB)
