James Metz, MD, has been named the Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Morton M. Kligerman Professor of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Metz has been serving as Interim Chair since November 2014, and held a series of administrative positions within the department beginning in 2005, when he was appointed Director of Clinical Operations. In 2009, he was appointed Vice Chair of the Clinical Division in Radiation Oncology, and in 2010, became Director of Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement. Subsequently, in 2014, he was appointed Vice Chair of the department.
Dr. Metz also led the development of the Roberts Proton Therapy Center, the largest proton center in the world that opened in 2010. His clinical research emphasizes multimodality therapies for locally advanced gastrointestinal malignancies.
“Dr. Metz is a collaborative and inclusive leader who has played an important role in elevating the department’s level of excellence and reputation, both nationally and internationally,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine.
Dr. Metz has pioneered the use of online cancer survivorship care plans and Web-based cancer education and information. He is nationally recognized as the longtime Editor-in-Chief, and now Executive Director, of OncoLink, named on numerous occasions as one of the Top 10 medical websites in the world by the National Library of Medicine.
Dr. Metz received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine. He was a resident, and then Chief Resident, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania beginning in 1996, and joined the Penn faculty in 1999. ■
