Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) recently announced that Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD, has been named Chief Physician Executive. A renowned surgeon-scientist, Dr. Drebin previously served as Chair of the Department of Surgery and brings decades of leadership and clinical experience specializing in pancreaticobiliary, upper gastrointestinal, and liver surgery. He will succeed esteemed neuro-oncologist, Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD, who retired on July 2.
Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD
As Chief Physician Executive, Dr. Drebin will lead all clinical services and research, medical education, and multicenter collaborations for MSK. He will continue to serve patients as a member of MSK’s hepatopancreatobiliary service.
“Dr. Drebin is a trusted and admired figure among our faculty, and a prominent member of MSK’s leadership team since he joined MSK in 2017,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, President and Chief Executive Officer of MSK. “With his warm, collaborative leadership style, vast and varied expertise, and deep commitment to MSK, I have every confidence in Dr. Drebin’s success as Chief Physician Executive. We are extremely fortunate to have a leader of such rare talent and generosity, who inspires both deep respect and genuine affection among faculty and staff across MSK.”
“I am deeply honored to step into the role of Chief Physician Executive at MSK. Since joining the institution, I’ve seen firsthand the unwavering dedication to patient care and the extraordinary efforts our people make every day,” said Dr. Drebin. “It’s a true privilege to collaborate with such an exceptional group of clinicians, researchers, and staff—all united in our mission to end cancer for life.”
Dr. Drebin has served MSK in numerous leadership capacities during his tenure. Of note, he has played a significant role in the development of the Kenneth C. Griffin Pavilion, including acting as a visible representative of MSK and a champion of the Pavilion to the larger community. He also serves as Secretary of Memorial Medical Care, PC, a practice of MSK physicians.
Professional Experience and Training
Prior to coming to MSK, Dr. Drebin held faculty appointments at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania. A pioneer in the development of targeted therapies for cancer, he has been the recipient of multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) research awards, served on NIH study sections, and served as co–principal investigator on an 8-year, $18 million-dollar Stand Up To Cancer Translational “Dream Team” award for pancreas cancer. His more recent research and clinical activity focus on the use of novel approaches to better understand pancreatic cancer cells and develop new, personalized treatments.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Drebin has held numerous leadership positions with multiple organizations. He is the current President of the American Surgical Association and is the Past-President of the Society of Surgical Oncology, Past-President of the Philadelphia Academy of Surgery, and Past-President of the Society of Clinical Surgery. He served previously as a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, on the Executive Committee of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, and as Chair of the Pancreas Cancer Disease Site Sub-Committee of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. In 2013, he was elected to the Institutes of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, now known as the National Academy of Medicine.
