Elizabeth Plimack, MD, MS
Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD
Elizabeth Plimack, MD, MS, has been appointed to Deputy Director at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, according to Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD, Cancer Center Director at Fox Chase. Dr. Plimack is Chief of the Division of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center. She is also Director of Genitourinary Clinical Research at Fox Chase.
“Conducting world-class cancer science is an integral part of our Fox Chase mission and identity as a National Cancer Institute (NCI)–designated comprehensive cancer center. Strong leadership in this area is critical to supporting our research enterprise and to promoting progress and success,” said Dr. Chernoff. “Dr. Plimack’s work ethic, dedication to excellence, and clinical expertise will serve us all well as she assumes her vital new role.”
Clinical and Translational Research
Dr. Plimack will oversee the Center’s clinical and translational research plan as she takes on this newly created role. Her primary areas of focus will include the following:
Programmatic scientific strategy, in which she will lead the growth of interdisciplinary translational science by building alliances across clinical disciplines and among clinical and basic science research faculty both at Fox Chase and throughout Temple Health, an academic health system, also located in Philadelphia.
Further development of the Fox Chase Bladder Cancer Program toward an integrated and collaborative research program by addressing NCI requirements for collaborative project funding and promoting the establishment of a Genitourinary Center of Excellence.
Development of institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by addressing these important issues as an integral part of the Cancer Center Support Grant renewal and by improving the Fox Chase culture to aid retention and recruitment of women and faculty and staff who are underrepresented in medicine.
About Dr. Plimack
Dr. Plimack is widely recognized for her expertise in bladder and kidney cancers; she is also a leader in clinical trial design and implementation. Her research has formed the basis of a biomarker-directed bladder preservation platform led by Fox Chase investigators.
Dr. Plimack leads a Stand Up To Cancer–funded multicenter clinical trial in metastatic bladder cancer, and she has been active in drug development on steering committees and data safety boards of numerous clinical trials. Some of these trials have led to the approval of multiple new agents used to treat patients with genitourinary malignancies.
Dr. Plimack earned her medical degree with honors in pathology from the New York University School of Medicine and a Master of Science degree in patient-based biologic research from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She completed both her internship and internal medicine residency at the New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital.
Among her many professional activities and leadership roles, Dr. Plimack is an elected member of ASCO’s Board of Directors, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, and member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Board of Directors.
In addition, she is a member of the NCCN Guidelines panels for kidney and bladder/penile cancers.
Dr. Plimack joined Fox Chase in 2008 after completing her medical oncology fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
