Tyler Jacks, Phd President, Break Through Cancer; Founding Director, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Tyler Jacks, PhD President, Break Through Cancer; Founding Director, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology www.breakthroughcancer.org Dr. Tyler Jacks, the President of Break Through Can- Dr. Jacks is an elected member of the National Acad- cer, has dedicated his life to cancer research. He emy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, is the Founding Director of the Koch Institute for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts was a member of the inaugural class of Fellows of Institute of Technology, the David H. Koch Profes- the AACR Academy. In 2015, Dr. Jacks received the sor of Biology, and Co-director of the Ludwig Cen- Killian Faculty Achievement Award, the highest honor ter for Molecular Oncology. From 2001 – 2007, he the MIT faculty can bestow upon one of its members. served as director of the Koch Institute’s predeces- In 2016, Dr. Jacks co-chaired the Blue-Ribbon Panel sor, the MIT Center for Cancer Research, and was for (then) Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moon- a long-standing Investigator of the Howard Hughes shot Initiative. He was also chair of the National Medical Institute (1994-2021). Dr. Jacks received his Cancer Advisory Board of the National Cancer Insti- bachelor’s degree in Biology from Harvard College, tute during the Obama administration. and his doctorate from the University of California, Dr. Jacks serves on the Board of San Francisco, where he trained with Nobel Laure- Directors of Amgen and Thermo ate Harold Varmus. He was a postdoctoral fellow Fisher Scientific. He co-founded with Robert Weinberg at the Whitehead Institute T2 Biosystems and Dragonfly before joining the MIT faculty in 1992. Therapeutics, where he also The Jacks laboratory at MIT’s Koch Institute studies serves as chair of the Scien- the genetic events underlying the development of tific Advisory Board. He also cancer. Dr. Jacks has pioneered the use of gene is a member of the scientific targeting technology in mice to study cancer- advisory boards of Skyhawk associated genes and to construct mouse models of Therapeutics, SQZ Biotech, many human cancer types, including cancers of the the Lustgarten lung, pancreas, colon, thyroid, and soft tissue. These Foundation for powerful, sophisticated models closely recapitulate Pancreatic Can- human disease, and have led to novel insights into cer Research, tumor development, as well as new strategies for and the Fran- cancer detection and treatment. cis Crick Insti- tute. Dr. Jacks In recognition of his contributions to the study of is a member cancer genetics, Dr. Jacks has received numerous of the Har- awards, including the AACR Outstanding Achieve- vard Univer- ment Award, the Amgen Award from the American sity Board of Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Overseers. the Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, the Sergio Lombroso Award in Cancer Research, and the AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and served as the organization’s President in 2009. William G. Nelson V, MD, PhD Chairman of the Board, Break Through Cancer; Marion I. Knott Director, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins www.breakthroughcancer.org Dr. Nelson is the Marion I. Knott Professor of Oncol- in cancer health disparities, cancer prevention, and ogy and Director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehen- prostate cancer. He serves on the Board of the V sive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. He currently Foundation, as a Scientific Co-Chair holds Professorships in Oncology, Medicine, Phar- for Stand Up to Cancer, and on macology, Pathology, Radiation Oncology, Urology, the Scientific Advisory Board and Environmental Health Sciences. His laboratory for the Prostate Cancer Foun- discovered one of the first epigenetically-silenced dation. He also works as the genes in human cancer, GSTP1, inactivated in near- Executive Editor of Cancer ly all prostate cancer cases. GSTP1 DNA methyl- Today and as a Senior Editor ation assays approved by the US Food and Drug of Cancer Research and of Administration serve as adjuncts for prostate the Journal of Clinical Investi- cancer diagnosis, the first epigenetic laboratory gation. Owner of eleven issued tests in common use. Dr. Nelson and colleagues patents, he is a co-found- also identified the major precursor to prostate er of Digital Harmonics cancer, ‘proliferative inflammatory atrophy.’ and of Brahm Astra Therapeutics, and Outside of Johns Hopkins, Dr. Nelson has also a Board Mem- become a recognized leader in cancer research, ber of Armis organizing national and international meetings Biopharma. www.breakthroughcancer.org Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD Director, Break Through Cancer Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Giulio Draetta is senior vice president and chief scientific officer at The Univer- sity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a professor of Genomic Med- icine and holds the Sewell Family Chair in Genomic Medicine, with a joint ap- pointment as professor of Molecular and Cellular Oncology. He also co-leads MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program. His research focuses on mechanisms of disease in pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma. Dr. Draetta earned his medical and postgraduate degrees from the University of Naples Medical School, Italy. David A. Scheinberg, MD, PhD Director, Break Through Cancer Chairman, Molecular Pharmacology Program and Director, Center for Experimental Therapeutics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center David A. Scheinberg, MD, PHD, is Vincent Astor Chair, the Chairman of Molecular Pharmacology at Sloan Kettering Institute, and the founder and chair of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is a Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, and co-chair of the Pharmacology grad- uate program at Weill Cornell Medical College and Professor in the Gerstner-Sloan Kettering Graduate School at MSKCC. He is a founder and director of the Thera- peutics Discovery Institute, and founder and advisor to Bridge Medicines. Laurie Glimcher, MD Director, Break Through Cancer President and Chief Executive Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Director, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Laurie Glimcher, MD is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Director of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, and the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she was the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cor- nell Medicine, and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. Notably, she was the first female to be appointed as dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and is the first female President and Chief Executive Officer of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. .