This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
USC’s new cancer center director to prioritize precision oncology across cancer continuum
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Caryn Lerman, PhD, will take over as director of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center effective March 15.
“I’m honored to return to USC and the Trojan family to lead such an outstanding cancer center,” Lerman, who received her master’s degree and doctoral degree from USC, said in a press release. “We are at a pivotal moment in cancer research where remarkable scientific and clinical breakthroughs are changing the course of how we prevent, detect and treat this disease. With the exceptional talent, dedicated clinicians, entrepreneurial mindset and culture of inclusion throughout USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, there is no limit to what we can accomplish together.”
HemOnc Today spoke with Lerman about how her professional experiences have prepared her for her new role, as well as the priorities she has established.
‘Important lessons’
Lerman spent the past 18 years at Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, where she most recently served as John H. Glick professor for cancer research and vice dean for strategic initiatives.
One of the accomplishments of which she is most proud is “building a team of incredible scientists” in the area of tobacco dependence. The institution’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction includes a team that expanded during her tenure from eight people to more than 60.
“The faculty and staff within the center have done work that has changed the paradigm for how tobacco dependence treatment is delivered,” Lerman told HemOnc Today.
As senior deputy director of Abramson Cancer Center at Penn, Lerman worked with former director Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD, to create multidisciplinary, disease-specific Translational Centers of Excellence. This effort catalyzed the formation of interdisciplinary teams of basic scientists, population scientists and clinicians to address fundamental problems in cancer prevention and treatment. As vice dean for strategic initiatives, Lerman worked with J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, to create a 5-year strategic plan for Penn Medicine. The plan, called “Shaping the Future of Medicine 2.0,” will tackle strategic priorities in the areas of health care delivery, pioneering scientific discoveries, faculty engagement and inclusion, and next generation medical education.
“The lessons learned during my time in Penn Medicine will inform the initiatives we develop at USC Norris,” Lerman said.
Prioritizing precision oncology
Lerman plans to implement a forward-looking vision at USC Norris, which focuses on next-generation precision oncology.
“[Although] many cancer centers have key strengths in different aspects of precision oncology, these efforts are often siloed,” Lerman told HemOnc Today. “The basic premise is to expand and integrate precision oncology research and practice across the full continuum of cancer care from cancer risk assessment to cancer therapy to survivorship.”
Laura Mosqueda, MD, dean of Keck School of Medicine at USC, said Lerman will strive to accelerate the cancer center’s impact on cancer care and research in our multicultural community within Los Angeles County.
“She will work to enhance interdisciplinary team science, enable infrastructure to support the discovery and development of innovative therapies, and develop new models for cancer risk assessment, prevention and community outreach,” Mosqueda said in a press release.
Lerman’s plans for development of multilevel individual cancer risk assessments will go beyond traditional risk factors and genomic sequencing to include the microbiome and immunoprofiling. By integrating deep streams of data and developing data science and machine-learning, Lerman hopes to develop predictive models to identify individuals who are at risk and then target interventions to those patients.
Working with USC Norris scientists, Lerman also will focus on developing integrated precision diagnostics and innovative models for drug development. To do this, she plans to bring together investigators, technologies and data streams from across the cancer center, leveraging talent and technologies across USC’s dynamic campus.
“Currently, precision oncology has a major focus on cancer treatment,” Lerman said. “By moving these efforts upstream into cancer prevention we can intervene early to prevent cancer. By expanding efforts downstream to cancer survivorship, we can identify patients who may be at a higher risk for late effects of cancer treatment and improve quality of life and survivorship.”
Lerman also intends to emphasize the importance of training and mentoring.
She credits much of her success to having exceptional mentors.
“It was through the gift of mentorship that I learned that I could do this work, and my career was launched,” Lerman said. “As leaders, we must teach and mentor the next generation to carry on the legacy as they make their own discoveries and ensure a sustainable impact on human health.” – by Joe Gramigna
For more information:
Caryn Lerman, PhD, can be reached at email at clerman@usc.edu.
Disclosure: Lerman reports no relevant financial disclosures.