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Nonprofit’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board Represented by Foremost Leaders in Pancreatic Cancer Field
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – (July 18, 2023) – The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), a leading nonprofit in the fight against pancreatic cancer, proudly announces the addition of fourteen new members to its Scientific and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB), as well as the elevation of current SMAB members Eileen M. O’Reilly, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Gregory Beatty, MD, PhD to the roles of Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.
PanCAN’s SMAB is comprised of leading scientists, clinicians and healthcare professionals who specialize in pancreatic cancer from institutions across the United States. The SMAB provides scientific and clinical expertise to guide PanCAN in planning and implementing its research initiatives, as well as its in-depth information, resources and services for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. All members contribute their expertise on a pro bono basis.
“Our SMAB is made up of some of the most accomplished scientists and medical professionals in the field, representing the nation’s leading institutions and high-volume centers for pancreatic cancer,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, president and CEO of PanCAN. “Through the leadership and support of Dr. O’Reilly and Dr. Beatty, our goal is to improve patient outcomes through advanced research, better early detection strategies, improved treatment options and ensuring patients receive the best care.”
Stepping into the role of SMAB Chair is Dr. Eileen M. O’Reilly, who currently serves as Winthrop Rockefeller Endowed Chair of Medical Oncology; Co-Director, Medical Initiatives, David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Section Head, Hepatopancreaticobilary & Neuroendocrine Cancers at MSK. Dr. O’Reilly’s research initiatives include integrating molecular and genetic-based therapies into the treatment of pancreas cancer, developing adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies, and identifying biomarkers that may be used to select therapy. She is the principal investigator of multiple phase I, II, and III pancreatic cancer clinical trials.
“I am honored and privileged to be selected as PanCAN’s next SMAB Chair,” said Dr. O’Reilly. “PanCAN is critically important to the field for many reasons, including its extensive outreach, scientific rigor, and support for the clinical and research pancreatic cancer community. I regard this organization with the highest esteem. I very much look forward to this coming year and engaging with the outstanding PanCAN team, this group of physicians, scientists, researchers and other professionals, the wider pancreas cancer community, and keeping our key focus on the mission of the organization.”
Taking on the position of SMAB Vice Chair is Dr. Gregory Beatty, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and in the Division of Hematology/Oncology within the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine. Dr. Beatty’s clinical expertise is in the area of early clinical trials for the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies including pancreas carcinomas.
“PanCAN has established an amazing community bridging advocates, patients, physicians, nurses, researchers, students, industry partners, and many more,” Dr. Beatty said. “This community is vital to the fight against pancreatic cancer, the sharing of knowledge, and the fostering of new ideas. Being a part of this is inspiring and I am incredibly appreciative to be a member of this community PanCAN has nurtured.”
New members joining the PanCAN SMAB include:
- Jonathan Brody, PhD, Thomas Jefferson University
- Efrat Dotan, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
- Gabi Chiorean, MD, University of Washington Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Andrew Hendifar, MD, Cedars Sinai
- Peter Hosein, MD, University of Miami
- Marcus Noel, MD, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
- Shubham Pant, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Marina Pasca di Magliano, PhD, University of Michigan
- Jennifer Permuth, PhD, MS, Moffitt Cancer Center
- Mike Pishvaian, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
- Aatur Singhi, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
- Sapna Syngal, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Colin Weekes, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Jen Jen Yeh, MD, University of North Carolina
Additionally, members whose terms have ended are:
- Channing Der, PhD
- George A. Fisher Jr., MD, PhD
- Jason Fleming, MD
- Hedy Kindler, MD
- Anirban Maitra, MBBS
All changes to PanCAN’s SMAB were effective as of July 1, 2023.
To learn more about PanCAN’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board leadership, visit pancan.org.
Editor’s note: As a member of PanCAN’s Precision Promise Steering Committee and Chair of the Translational Research Committee, Dr. Beatty receives an annual honorarium.
About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) leads the way in accelerating critical progress for pancreatic cancer patients. PanCAN takes bold action by funding life-saving research, providing personalized patient services and creating a community of supporters and volunteers who will stop at nothing to create a world in which all pancreatic cancer patients will thrive. For 18 years in a row, PanCAN has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator – the highest rating an organization can receive. This rating designates PanCAN as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating strong financial health, ongoing accountability and transparency.
