Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, President of City of Hope National Medical Center, in Duarte, California, has been appointed the Deana and Steve Campbell Physician-in-Chief Distinguished Chair in Honor of Alexandra Levine, MD. The position was created in honor of Dr. Levine, a City of Hope Professor of Hematology who also previously served as its Chief Medical Officer.
“Dr. Caligiuri is an exceptional and accomplished leader with a dedication to serving patients in need, particularly by utilizing innovative science to develop next-generation treatments and care,” said Robert W. Stone, City of Hope President and Chief Executive Officer. “He exudes limitless compassion and a steadfast devotion to caring for the whole patient.”
The genesis for the Deana and Steve Campbell chair started in 2009. At the time, Deana Campbell had been diagnosed with lymphoma and came to City of Hope to receive treatment from Dr. Levine. She received chemotherapy and went into remission, but two and a half years later, the lymphoma returned. Ms. Campbell underwent a revolutionary procedure using modified HIV to kill the lymphoma cells, and today, she is cancer free.
When Dr. Levine retired as City of Hope’s Chief Medical Officer in 2016, the Campbell family wanted to acknowledge Dr. Levine’s legacy of caring and established the chair in her honor. “City of Hope is immensely grateful to philanthropists Deana and Steve Campbell, whose commitment and generosity is helping advance City of Hope’s discoveries and novel therapies,” said Mr. Stone.
“I am incredibly honored to hold this distinctive position. I have known Dr. Levine for a long time, and when it comes to the way she treats patients with such heartfelt compassion, there is no one like her,” Dr. Caligiuri said. “I look forward to carrying on the strong legacy of caring that Dr. Levine started, and with the support of such a generous and resilient family.”
Dr. Caligiuri is a leader in the field of immunology, lymphoma, and leukemia. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine’s Class of 2018 for his breakthrough discoveries in immunology and cancer. Dr. Caligiuri, who is past president of the American Association for Cancer Research continues to lead a City of Hope laboratory that is conducting important research on human natural killer cells and their modulation for the treatment of leukemia, myeloma, and glioblastoma.
