The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has added four leaders from across the country to its Scientific and Medical Advisory Board.
“Members of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Scientific and Medical Advisory Board have committed their careers to change the course of a deadly and complex disease,” said Steven Leach, MD, Chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “I’m pleased to welcome these outstanding individuals to our community of trailblazers.”
Members of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board provide guidance to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in prioritizing and implementing research initiatives. Additionally, members provide direction on vital patient service programs, including Know Your Tumor, Clinical Trial Finder, and the Patient Registry.
“Making advances in a challenging disease like pancreatic cancer requires a team of experts who share information and innovative ideas,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, President and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. “We are thrilled to welcome new advisors to guide our cutting-edge research and clinical endeavors.”
The newly appointed members of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Scientific and Medical Advisory Board are:
- Eric Collisson, MD: Medical Oncologist and Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Collisson’s clinical research focuses on basic themes in biology and clinical behaviors of gastrointestinal malignancies. He received his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
- Andrew M. Lowy, MD, FACS: Professor of Surgery and Director of Surgical Oncology at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Lowy is recognized for his expertise in the surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer and conducts clinical and basic research focused on pancreatic cancer as well. He serves as Chair of the National Cancer Institute’s Pancreatic Cancer Task Force. He currently serves as the surgical principal investigator in the largest pancreatic cancer clinical trial ever conducted in the United States.
- Nicholas N. Nissen, MD: Director of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery and Liver Transplant at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Nissen’s clinical and research efforts focus on improving the safety and success of liver and pancreatic surgery and in establishing patient-centered multidisciplinary treatment teams. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota, followed by surgical fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California, Los Angeles.
- Rosalie C. Sears, PhD: Professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Co-Director of the Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care, and senior member at the Knight Cancer Institute at the Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Sears studies cellular signaling pathways that control tumor cell behavior, which contributed to development of a drug that dramatically inhibits tumor growth and significantly extends survival in mouse pancreas cancer models. She received her PhD in cell biology from Vanderbilt University.
Eric Collisson, MD
Andrew M. Lowy, MD, FACS
Nicholas N. Nissen, MD
Rosalie C. Sears, PhD
Drs. Collisson, Lowy, Nissen, and Sears will serve 3-year terms, effective July 1, 2016–June 30, 2019. ■
