Renowned physician-scientist, David Frank, MD, PhD, is the new director of the Division of Hematology in Emory University School of Medicine's Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology.
Photo: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
David Frank, MD, PhD, a renowned physician-scientist specializing in leukemia, will join Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University on Sept. 1 as director of the Division of Hematology and professor in Emory University School of Medicine's Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology. He will also serve as director of the Winship Innovation Initiative and as an advisor to the Morningside Center for Innovative and Affordable Medicine within the Woodruff Health Sciences Center.
"Dr. Frank is an exceptionally talented and compassionate physician-scientist, leader, and educator, and we are so pleased to welcome him to the team," said Sagar Lonial, MD, Winship's chief medical officer, chair of the Emory Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, and the Anne and Bernard Gray Family Chair in Cancer. "I know the division will thrive under his leadership and through his commitment to clinical service quality and to the patient experience across all Winship locations."
Frank comes from Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, where he was an instrumental clinical and academic leader in the Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology. He was the chief quality officer for Dana-Farber, having also served as chair of Quality Improvement for Medical Oncology, chair of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, and Medical Director of Patient Safety. His translational research lab has developed innovative ways to target STAT transcription factors, leading to a series of therapeutic clinical trials, including the first clinical trial of a small molecule STAT3 inhibitor in cancer therapy. He holds numerous national positions, including chair of the Medical Sciences section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.
In his new role as director of the Division of Hematology, Frank's leadership will support the clinical, educational, and research missions, building on the excellence of this team as well as his clinical leadership experience.
"I am delighted to join the phenomenal faculty at Winship Cancer Institute," said Frank. "I was drawn by the deep commitment to providing the highest level of care for patients with cancer and blood disorders. I am also looking forward to integrating my laboratory group into the Winship community, to continue our efforts to bring novel targeted and immune-based therapies into clinical trials for cancer patients. I see Winship continuing to grow as a national leader in generating innovative therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and other forms of cancer."
A graduate of MIT, Frank completed his MD, PhD, internship, residency, and chief residency at Yale and his medical oncology training at Dana-Farber, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in intracellular signal transduction at Harvard Medical School. He is actively involved in training the next generation of clinical oncologists and cancer scientists. He developed and directed the signature course of Harvard’s Cancer Biology graduate program, served on governing committees and as an advisor in the MD/PhD program and the Harvard Catalyst KL2 Program, and is a faculty member on six NIH training grants.
