Christian Hinrichs, MD
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has named Christian Hinrichs, MD, as Chief of the Section of Cancer Immunotherapy and Co-Director of the Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence, along with Eileen White, PhD, Deputy Director and Chief Scientific Officer at Rutgers Cancer Institute. Dr. Hinrichs, whose expertise is immunotherapy exploration, was recruited from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where he most recently served as tenured Senior Investigator in the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch.
Eileen White, PhD
Dr. Hinrichs’s research focuses on tumor response and resistance, with notable accomplishment in the development of cellular therapy for common cancers that begin in epithelial cells. Dr. Hinrichs also discovered and is developing new treatments for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers and other types of cancer.
A Synergistic Approach to Research
Dr. Hinrichs was selected in 2015 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Lasker Clinical Research Scholar as part of a joint initiative with the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation to support talented, early-stage researchers in independent clinical and translational investigation. A key feature of this program is the transition of funded scholars who are conducting intramural research under the NIH umbrella to continue with that work at external institutions. With his recruitment to Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Hinrichs is the first Lasker Scholar to make this transition.
Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS
“The recruitment of Dr. Hinrichs enables us to build world-class tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy programs. Leveraging his expertise in tumor immunology with that of Dr. White in the area of cancer metabolism, the exploration conducted through the Center of Excellence will help us understand why some patients respond to cancer treatments and others do not and lead to the development of clinical trials to test novel cancer treatments,” said Rutgers Cancer Institute Director Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS, who is also Senior Vice President of Oncology Services for RWJBarnabas Health.
“With strong cancer care and basic research, cutting-edge cell therapy manufacturing facilities, and generous philanthropic support of the Center of Excellence, Rutgers Cancer Institute is positioned to be an international leader in tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy research,” said Dr. Hinrichs, who also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
