David Frank, MD, PhD Where Science Becomes Hope® Spotlight

David Frank, MD, PhD, is a renowned physician-scientist and board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University caring for patients with leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Frank is the director of the Division of Hematology and a professor in the Emory University School of Medicine's Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology. His translational research laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular abnormalities in cancer cells and using this knowledge to develop new targeted cancer therapies. His research team 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.

Recently, Frank shared his perspective on how the research and clinical work done at Winship inspires hope.

How does the work of the care teams at Winship inspire hope?

One of the things I love most about being at Winship is the great care teams that we have. I think we have the best doctors in the country, but we also have the best nurses and social workers and caregivers throughout our institution. So, it's that team approach to taking care of every single one of our patients – to give them the best care and to give them the best chance of a long and meaningful and high-quality life – that inspires hope.

Can you share an example of where you've seen Winship research really benefit a patient?

Fortunately, there are many examples where we see how the impact of our research has helped patients. There are many diseases in which, only a few years ago, we had really little in the way of effective therapies to offer, but through clinical trials and laboratory research and clinical investigation at Winship, we have advanced treatment in a wide variety of blood cancers, solid tumors and other cancers that otherwise have a terrible impact on patients across the country.

What inspires you to provide cancer care?

It's extremely meaningful to me to take care of every patient that I see every day, but I'm also motivated to take better care of patients. We need new treatments, and at an institution like Winship, we are set up to learn from every one of our patients, to develop better treatments and to help them in the future. So, the focus of Winship is taking the best care of patients today and taking care of patients even better tomorrow.

What does “where science becomes hope” mean to you?

We need to take better care of patients by developing new treatments. At an institution like Winship, we are set up with our laboratories, with our investigators, with our researchers to learn as much as we can about cancer and to develop treatments that target the cancer cell and leave the rest of the body unharmed. I have a great deal of confidence that in the coming years we at Winship, along with our colleagues across the country, will make impactful strides in the treatment of cancer nationally.