Last week, Dartmouth Cancer Center (DCC) and Fox Chase Cancer Center announced the appointments of new directors—both experts in the treatment of lung cancer.
DCC has appointed Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, as the center’s sixth director. Temple Health announced the appointment of Robert A. Winn, MD, as the next Cancer Center Director for Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD
Robert A. Winn, MD
Dr. Herbst
Dr. Herbst will begin his tenure on July 13. He will lead integrated efforts to help strengthen cancer research, education, and collaboration across Dartmouth and Dartmouth Health, as well as expand access to advanced treatments and clinical trials.
Dr. Herbst joins DCC from Yale, where he serves as Deputy Director and Chief of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. In these roles, he has led major clinical and research programs, built strong partnerships across academia and industry, and expanded access to innovative therapies through large-scale clinical trials.
DCC brings together cancer care, research, and education across the Dartmouth Health system and Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. DCC connects academic activities across all 5 schools of Dartmouth and clinical activities across 14 Dartmouth Health hospitals, clinics, and care teams—translating discovery into better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for patients close to home, while advancing cancer research that benefits people and communities globally.
“I am honored to lead DCC at this defining moment and to join a nationally recognized team at the forefront of cancer care, research, and education,” Dr. Herbst said. “Building on this strong foundation, I am committed to bold, collaborative leadership that drives transformative innovation, expands equitable access to world-class care, and accelerates the translation of scientific discovery into meaningful improvements for our patients. Together with Dartmouth, Geisel, Dartmouth Health, and our partners, we will continue to elevate DCC’s impact as a national leader, shaping the future of cancer care and delivering lasting advances for our communities and beyond.”
“As a National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer center—one of only three in New England and the only center not located in a major urban hub—DCC is one of our crown jewels at Dartmouth Health,” said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, Chief Executive Officer and President of Dartmouth Health. “It is a source of great pride and privilege to offer our patients and communities the most advanced treatments and best care for a disease that touches all of us in some way. With Dr. Herbst at the helm of our Cancer Center, we are poised to grow our reach and capabilities to greater heights than ever before, as our clinicians and researchers continue their mission toward a world without cancer. I am thrilled and eager to welcome him when he joins us this summer.”
Dr. Herbst has helped shape modern cancer research as the founding principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute–funded Yale SPORE in Lung Cancer, while also creating innovative trial designs such as the BATTLE study and the development of the Lung Master Protocol (Lung-MAP), which uses biomarkers to match patients with the treatments most likely to benefit them. His work has contributed to the approval of multiple therapies that are now the standard of care, and he continues to advance research focused on earlier detection and treatment.
In addition to his research and clinical leadership, Dr. Herbst is a dedicated educator and mentor. He has authored more than 500 publications in leading journals and has helped train the next generation of clinicians and scientists. He has been a major proponent of efforts to promote tobacco control and regulation (including e-cigarettes), authoring multiple policy statements and leading frequent Capitol Hill briefings. His professional and scholarly contributions have been recognized with numerous national and international awards.
Dr. Herbst attended medical school at Cornell University and earned a PhD in molecular cell biology at The Rockefeller University. He also earned master’s degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, and clinical translational research, at Yale and Harvard, respectively. He was fellowship-trained in medical oncology and hematology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, respectively. He is the recipient of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Paul Bunn Scientific Award for his contributions to lung cancer care and research, and the American Association for Cancer Research Distinguished Public Service Award for Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Science Policy.
Dr. Winn
Dr. Winn’s appointment, effective later this summer, underscores Fox Chase’s continued commitment to shaping the future of oncology through groundbreaking cancer research and fostering innovation that advances the standard of care.
A nationally recognized cancer center director and physician-scientist, Dr. Winn is known for building high-performing research enterprises and advancing innovation in cancer care. He currently serves as Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and holds the Lipman Chair in Oncology.
At VCU Massey Cancer Center, Dr. Winn led a transformation that culminated in the center achieving National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center designation in 2023. His leadership drove significant growth in research funding; expanded team science; and elevated clinical trial participation, establishing a model for integrating discovery, care, and community impact.
“Dr. Winn is the kind of leader who accelerates progress and brings people together to solve the most complex challenges in cancer,” said Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Chase Cancer Center. “With his leadership, Fox Chase is poised to expand its national influence and deliver even greater breakthroughs for patients.”
As the leader of Fox Chase’s research enterprise, Dr. Winn will focus on expanding translational pathways and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration. A central priority will be building on the institution’s strong scientific foundation while growing research programs that address cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes across communities in the Philadelphia region and nationwide.
A leading voice in advancing equity in cancer research and care, he is known for pioneering a “community-to-bench” model that integrates community perspectives into scientific discovery and for founding the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program.
“I am proud of the work I have been part of over the past several years, and I am thrilled for this new opportunity at Fox Chase,” said Dr. Winn. “The level of scientific excellence and progress here is truly inspiring, and I am excited to help advance that science in ways that will have an even greater impact for patients and communities. Fox Chase has a remarkable history, an extraordinary team, and the combined strength of Temple and Fox Chase offers incredible potential to improve cancer research and care not just for Philadelphia, but for the nation.”
Dr. Winn is committed to both community-engaged research and research focused on eliminating health disparities. He is principal investigator on several large multi-institutional initiatives at VCU Massey, including a team science award from Stand Up To Cancer and a National Cancer Institute–funded Planning SPORE focused on Lung Cancer Health Equity. He also helms an institutional partnership award fostering cancer disparities research and career development collaboration between Massey and Virginia State University, a historically Black university located in Petersburg, Virginia—a city that has faced health and education inequities for generations. Dr. Winn also manages his own basic and translational research laboratory, which has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health and Veterans Affairs Merit awards for nearly 2 decades. His laboratory focuses on the molecular mechanisms and novel therapeutic approaches for lung cancer and the confluence between societal and biological factors that may lead to disparities.
The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Dr. Winn was the inaugural recipient of the 2021 Association of American Cancer Institutes’ (AACI) Cancer Health Equity Award and is the AACI’s President-Elect. He also serves on the boards of the American Cancer Society and LUNGevity Foundation.
Dr. Winn holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame and an MD from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.
