Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center announces appointments

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center announced the following awards and appointments:

Philip Kantoff, MD, has been appointed chair of the department of medicine.

Kantoff is a medical oncologist and clinical researcher who specializes in genitourinary oncology, specifically prostate and testicular cancer. His research focuses on the role genetics plays in prostate cancer, as well as the discovery of biomarkers that may inform prognosis and serve as therapeutic targets.

Clifford A. Hudis, MD, has been appointed vice president for government relations and chief advocacy officer.

In this newly created role, Hudis will serve as the cancer center’s public advocate on science, policy and reimbursement matters through interactions with external stakeholders.

Hudis, a medical oncologist, serves as chief of the breast medicine service. His clinical research has focused on disease prevention, reduction of risk recurrence and the treatment of advanced disease. He is past president of ASCO.

Luis F. Parada, PhD, has been appointed director of the Brain Tumor Center.

Parada is a developmental biologist who researches cancers of the nervous system, such as neurofibromatosis and malignant gliomas. He specializes in using animal models for this research and in making sure that these models accurately reflect human clinical diseases.

Robert Sidlow, MD, has been appointed head of the newly formed division of survivorship and supportive care.

Sidlow — a general internist, palliative medicine specialist and experienced hospital administrator — has focused on a broad range of activities, including performance improvement, medical education, and the use of information technology to enhance clinical decision-making and patient safety.

The new division was established to serve as an academic, intellectual and administrative home for practitioners who focus on the support of patients throughout their cancer care.