Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, a leading expert on drug development through clinical trials, will join Yale Cancer Center in August as a Professor of Medicine and Associate Director of Innovative Medicine at Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. LoRusso brings more than 25 years of expertise in medical oncology, drug development, and early phase clinical trials. Prior to her Yale appointment, Dr. LoRusso served in numerous leadership roles at Wayne State University’s Barbara Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, most recently as Director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program and of the Eisenberg Center for Experimental Therapeutics.
“Pat LoRusso is a preeminent leader in early-phase drug development, and she joins the cancer center at a time during which we have committed to accelerating the process of getting new drugs to patients,” said Thomas J. Lynch, MD, Director of Yale Cancer Center and Physician-in-Chief at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven. “She will help the center continue to make significant contributions to the global cancer problem.”
Dr. LoRusso has served as co-chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Investigational Drug Steering Committee. She also served on the scientific committee of the American Association for Cancer Research, the education and scientific committees of the ASCO, numerous peer-reviewed study sections, and NCI committees.
“My primary mission is to make a difference in human lives, and one of the ways to do this is by bringing the very latest therapies to patients through clinical trials,” Dr. LoRusso said. “Yale Cancer Center has great research, great leadership, and a passionate group of scientists and physicians dedicated to fighting cancer, and this is where I want to apply my skills and passion.”
‘Transformational’ Leader
Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, Chief of Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital, and Associate Director of the Cancer Center’s Translational Research Program, called Dr. LoRusso a “truly transformational” leader.
“Bringing new drugs into clinical trials, and ultimately to FDA approval, is no easy feat, and Pat has the proven ability to do this. The global cancer community has seen her achieve this time and again,” Dr. Herbst said. “Pat joining our team is going to make a huge impact on how we grow our research program and help our patients.” ■
