R. Donald Harvey, Pharm D, director of Winship's Phase I Clinical Trials Section, has been appointed as Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Office of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
R. Donald Harvey, PharmD, director of Winship's Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, has been appointed as Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Office (CTO) of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Winship).
Associate Director for Clinical Research, Bassel El-Rayes, MD, says this newly created position is in response to tremendous growth in the breadth of Winship's clinical trials program, and this role is critical to advance the successful execution of Winship's clinical research efforts.
"In the last two years, Winship has activated more clinical trials and enrolled more patients than ever. This speaks to Winship's strength in meeting the needs of our patients by providing the newest and most promising treatments for their specific cancers," says El-Rayes. Many of the responsibilities of this new role were previously handled by the Associate Director for Clinical Research and/or the CTO Administrative Director, but El-Rayes says creating this position opens up new possibilities in the growth and direction of Winship's research.
As Medical Director, Harvey will ensure the quality and compliance of clinical research practices at all Winship locations, including the Clifton campus, Emory Midtown, Emory Saint Joseph's, Emory Johns Creek, Emory Decatur, Emory Hillandale, Emory Proton Center, the VA, Grady, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
"Cancer clinical trials are a team sport, and I'm excited to work with many partners in expanding our efforts," says Harvey. "It's an honor to serve our patients, investigators, research staff, clinicians, and the institution for a collective greater good in developing better cancer therapies."
Harvey will serve as the primary liaison between faculty, hospital leadership, clinical management (infusion, pharmacy, laboratory), and Winship CTO staff and will work closely with CTO Administrative Director Amy Overby and with El-Rayes to review issues, accomplishments, and strategic plans for the CTO.
"Winship is thrilled to appoint Dr. Harvey to this critical role. His appointment demonstrates Winship's commitment to strengthening our infrastructure for clinical research. I personally look forward to working with him in this role," said Winship Executive Director Walter J. Curran, Jr., MD, the Lawrence W. Davis Chair in Radiation Oncology and the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Chair in Cancer Research.
Harvey is a professor in Emory's Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology and the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, and chair of Winship's Data and Safety Monitoring Committee. He is a Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacy specialist (BCOP), a Fellow in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP), and a Fellow of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (FHOPA).
