Download Chair, Department of Population Sciences Beckman Research

 Chair, Department of Population Sciences
Beckman Research Institute
Ruth Ziegler Chair in Population Sciences
December 2014
Introduction and Overview
City of Hope (COH) is a research, treatment, and educational center dedicated to the
prevention, treatment, and cure of cancer and diabetes. It includes the Beckman
Research Institute (BRI), Helford Clinical Research Hospital, the Medical Foundation
(which operates the Brawerman Center for Ambulatory Care and community practices),
and the Finkel Women’s Health Center. The research enterprise encompasses bench
research in the laboratory, genetic cancer risk assessment, and survivorship research.
City of Hope is one of the nation’s 41 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers
and is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. COH’s five NCI certified programs
are:
Molecular
Oncology;
Developmental
Cancer
Therapeutics;
Cancer
Immunotherapeutics; Hematologic Malignancies; and Cancer Control and Population
Sciences.
Additional information on City of Hope can be found in Attachment 1 as well as at
www.cityofhope.org.
Beckman Research Institute
Research at City of Hope is conducted by over 90 principal investigators within BRI’s
departments along with researchers in the clinical departments and divisions. COH has
the infrastructure and collaborative energy to move from bold, innovative concepts to
powerful new treatments swiftly. At City of Hope, the clinical enterprise and Beckman
conduct more clinical trials than most cancer centers and COH is a national leader in
translational research, where ideas continuously flow between investigators and
clinicians.
Research funding at City of Hope is approximately $260 million annually. COH’s
endowment of $1.8 billion and annual revenue of $1.5 billion provide significant financial
strength to support basic science discovery, translational research, and leading edge
clinical care.
Department of Population Sciences
City of Hope is seeking an accomplished scientist to serve as the Chair of the
Population Sciences Department that is based in the Beckman Research Institute; the
Department Chair will also serve as Associate Director of Population Sciences in the
Cancer Center. The Chair will hold Ruth Ziegler Chair in Population Sciences.
The new Chair will lead the Department in:
•
•
Developing a plan that supports City of Hope’s strategic plan
(http://www.cityofhope.org/our-strategic-plan);
Achieving the aspirations of City of Hope’s research and clinical enterprises;
2 •
•
•
Attracting significant external research funding;
Contributing to City of Hope’s emphasis on translational research; and
Developing research of consequence that is recognized by the international
cancer community.
The Chair will report to Steve Rosen, COH’s Provost, BRI Director, and Cancer Center
Director who joined City of Hope in early 2014. Prior to joining COH Rosen served as
the Director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern
University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
The Position and Opportunity
The Department’s investigators collaborate to better understand the causes of cancer,
improve outcomes, and develop ways to prevent cancer through discoveries made in
population studies, survivorship, and patterns of care.
The Department is currently organized in four divisions.
•
Division of Cancer Etiology headed by Dr. Leslie Bernstein The goal of the Division of Cancer Etiology is to understand the causes of cancer as
well as means for reducing recurrence rates and cancer mortality. By understanding
the causes of cancer, cancer recurrence, and cancer mortality, the division seeks to
develop solutions that will reduce these outcomes, especially in people who are at
highest risk.
•
Division of Clinical Cancer Genetics headed by Dr. Jeffrey Weitzel The Division of Clinical Cancer Genetics includes clinical services, research, and
educational programs focusing on people who are at increased risk for developing
cancer because of family history or personal risk factors.
•
Division of Outcomes Research headed by Dr. Saro Armenian The goal of the Division of Outcomes Research is to better understand the aftereffects (physical, emotional, and social) of cancer and its treatment. The Division of
Outcomes research includes the Center for Cancer Survivorship, a long-term followup program designed to create a bridge between cancer treatment and community
medical care.
•
Division of Nursing Research and Education headed by Dr. Betty Ferrell The Division of Nursing Research and Education is well recognized on a national
level for its research and education focused on nursing care for patients with cancer,
3 which has helped to increase the quality of care provided to cancer patients across
the United States.
There are 18 investigators in Population Sciences and the Department’s active research
grants total $12,000,000 of which just over $10,000,000 comes from NIH.
The goals for the new Chair, as detailed earlier in this document, are critical to the longterm success of City of Hope. The Chair and leaders within the Department will review
the current structure and make any adjustments to prepare the group for success. Any
organizational strategy will be built on the future science foci – in addition to the current
research initiatives, there is strong interest within the Department to enhance
translational, behavioral and interventional, psychosocial, and community outreach
research.
The success of the Chair will be assessed on research funding, application of the
Department’s research to the overall emphasis within City of Hope on translational
research, and the quality of the scholarly research.
Qualifications
The best candidates will have experience as a leader, fostering research at a research
university or academic medical center including a strong record of obtaining funding for
complex and interdisciplinary research. The new Chair will have strong skills for
mentoring junior faculty and will promote the interests of the entire Department.
Education and Qualifications:
•
•
•
•
•
MD, PhD, or MD/PhD;
Recognized leader in his/her respective scientific field with a distinguished
national and international reputation for research;
Five or more years of leadership experience within a complex academic
institution or medical center;
Experience working in an interdisciplinary setting with diverse populations and
success in obtaining research, grant funding, and producing scholarly
publications resulting from such research;
Comprehensive knowledge of principles and practices of research programs,
demonstrated knowledge of applicable best practices, and strong research
expertise and productivity; and
The best candidates will also have many of the following capabilities, and personal
attributes:
• Strong budgetary and operational skills;
• A collegial, problem-solving style based on personal integrity and ethics,
professional confidence, and excellent relationship management skills;
• Nuanced judgment and personal maturity; and
• A participatory leadership style that models the values of service, initiative, and
collaboration.
• Achieving the aspirations of City of Hope’s research and clinical enterprises;
4 •
•
•
Attracting significant external research funding;
Contributing to City of Hope’s emphasis on translational research; and
Developing research of consequence that is recognized by the international
cancer research community.
Please send applications and nominations to the Brill Neumann team working on the
search:
Nicholas Brill and Jennifer McDonough
Brill Neumann Associates
[email protected]
Visit the City of Hope website http://www.cityofhope.org/ for additional information.
City of Hope is committed to equal opportunity and affirmative action.
5 Attachment 1
City of Hope
In the past decade COH added major new lab space and a new inpatient hospital,
increased external research funding, formed a new medical foundation for the
physicians practicing at the institution, and achieved record setting fund raising. Within
the past two years the senior team at COH led the development of the current strategic
plan (referenced above) which positions COH for success in the very competitive
southern California marketplace.
Beckman Research Institute
At City of Hope the clinical enterprise and Beckman conduct more clinical trials than
most cancer centers and it is a national leader in translational research, where ideas
continuously flow between investigators and clinicians.
Additionally, City of Hope has made substantial investments in buildings, equipment,
and people. City of Hope provides end-to-end translational research infrastructure
including three GMP facilities on the Duarte campus, and recently started a pipeline
development and commercialization program that utilizes both internal and external
advisors to aid in advancing the development of promising compounds. These assets
in total have led to a very promising pipeline of potential cancer and diabetes therapies.
Several of the companion departments to Population Sciences offer significant and
complementary research activities. The Department of Information Sciences supports
information management, integration, and synthesis across the translational research
pipeline, collaborates in the design, computerization, analysis and reporting of basic,
translational, clinical, and population research, facilitates the collection and delivery of
accurate, complete electronic data for disease registries, and ensures high quality
results by applying best practices and international standards. The Cancer and Aging
Research Program joins investigators from all cancer disciplines to study the biology,
treatment, and survivorship issues which face older adults with cancer. To foster
nationwide collaborative research in geriatric oncology, the Cancer and Aging Research
Program developed a nationwide consortium of geriatric oncology investigators from
over 20 institutions.
In 2014 COH has created several new programs to focus research on pressing medical
issues – they include the Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Hematologic
Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, and Alpha Clinic for Cell Therapy
and Innovation (ACT-I).
6 Duarte and Los Angeles County
COH is located in Duarte, California just 10 miles east of Pasadena and 22 miles
northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley. Duarte is close enough to Los
Angeles to take advantage of the benefits of city life and far enough to enjoy living in a
peaceful environment with majestic views of the San Gabriel Mountains. Duarte is also
located within close proximity to a variety of recreational activities so residents can
enjoy a day at the beach and skiing in the mountains in a single weekend.
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