July 03, 2016
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center names pediatrics chairman

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Andrew L. Kung, MD, PhD, has been named chairman of the department of pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Kung — an internationally recognized pediatric oncologist — has focused on identifying new targets and developing new treatments for childhood cancer. He previously served on the faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, and he most recently led the division of pediatric hematology, oncology and stem cell transplantation at Columbia University Medical Center.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Dr. Kung lead Memorial Sloan Kettering’s already superb department of pediatrics,” José Baselga, MD, PhD, the cancer center’s physician-in-chief, said in a press release. “He provides an exciting vision for the future of pediatric oncology, one that combines a total commitment to patient care with an exquisite understanding of genomics, epigenetics, and cancer biology.”

Andrew Kung

Andrew L. Kung

Richard J. O’Reilly, MD

Richard J. O’Reilly

Kung succeeds Richard J. O’Reilly, MD, who served as chairman of the department for 30 years. O’Reilly spearheaded and developed the application of bone marrow transplants for patients with blood and marrow cancers and those with immune system disorders.

“I am honored to be taking the reins from Dr. O’Reilly,” Kung said in the release. “Memorial Sloan Kettering has some of the most gifted physicians and scientists and one of the best translational research programs in the world. The overarching goal of my leadership will be to instill a culture of collaboration and discovery into the clinical, research and training programs, leading pediatric oncology into the future. I am eager to work with my colleagues to advance the frontiers of pediatric cancer, always with the care and outcome of patients in the clinic as our primary focus and motivation.”