President: 2024-2025
As the associate director of experimental therapeutics at Yale Cancer Center, Dr. LoRusso is a nationally recognized expert in developing new cancer drugs through clinical trials. Dr. LoRusso has pioneered significant advances in medical oncology, drug development, and early phase clinical trials for her work at Wayne State University’s Barbara Karmanos Cancer Institute as director of both the phase I Clinical Trials Program and of the Eisenberg Center for Experimental Therapeutics.
Dr. LoRusso joined the AACR in 1988, served on the AACR Board of Directors from 2015 to 2018, and received the AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research in 2022. In 2023, she was inducted as a Fellow of the AACR Academy. She currently serves with distinction as chair of the AACR Exploratory IND/Biomarker-Driven Clinical Trials Task Force; chair of the AACR-Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research Award Committee; and cochair of the AACR Precision Combination Therapy Task Force. She has been a member of the AACR Project GENIE External Advisory Board since its inception in 2015.
Dr. LoRusso’s extensive involvement with the AACR has also included serving as a member of the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report Steering Committee (2022); member, AACR Education and Training Committee (2019-2022); member, AACR Nominating Committee (2019-2021); chair (2019-2020) and member (2018-2019), AACR Satellite Educational Symposia Committee; member, AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism Judging Panel (2017-2020); member, AACR Continuing Medical Education Committee (2012-2014, 2017-2020); vice chair (2018-2019) and cochair (2013-2014, 2016-2017), AACR Annual Meeting Program Committee; member, AACR Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee (2016-2019); codirector (2016-2018) and faculty member (2004, 2005, 2009-2012), AACR/ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop; faculty member, AACR Educational Workshop, “Australia and Asia Pacific Clinical Oncology Research Development” (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018); member, AACR Cancer Progress Report Steering Committee (2017); chair (2016-2017) and member (2012-2015), AACR Women in Cancer Research Council; chair, AACR Team Science Award Committee (2016-2017); cochair, AACR Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee (2012-2015); member, AACR Annual Meeting Exhibits Committee (2012-2014); member, AACR Clinical Research and Experimental Therapeutics Awards Selection Committee (2007-2009, 2012-2014); member, AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research Committee (2007-2009); member, AACR-Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award Committee (2007-2009); member, Scientific Review Committee, Second Annual International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development (2007); member, AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship Committee (2006); and member, Scientific Program Committee, AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (2003-2005).
Dr. LoRusso served on the editorial boards of the AACR journals Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2012-2015) and Clinical Cancer Research (2011-2014). She was also coleader of the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)-Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) Melanoma Dream Team. The AACR serves as the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer.
Throughout her career, Dr. LoRusso has received numerous honors and awards, including the World Affairs Council of Connecticut Luminary Award (2018); National Organization of Italian-American Women “Three Wise Women” honoree (2017); Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center the one hundred honoree (2014); ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies (TAT) Honorary Award (2014); Michigan State University Distinguished Alumni Award (2014); Karmanos Cancer Institute Faculty Award for Clinical Excellence (2013); American College of Osteopathic Internists Researcher of the Year Award (2010); National Cancer Institute Michaele Christian Oncology Development Award (2008); Crain’s Detroit Business Heroes of Healthcare Award (2008); Marygrove College Distinguished Alumni Award (2008); Top Doctors honoree (2007, 2009, 2011-2013, 2018); and the Michigan Society for Medical Research Bennett J. Cohen Educational Leadership Award for Medical Research (2004). Dr. LoRusso received an honorary PhD from Michigan State University in 2015 and was elected as a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2022.
Dr. LoRusso received her BS from Marygrove College and her DO from Michigan State University. Prior to her appointment at the Yale School of Medicine, she served in numerous leadership roles at Wayne State University’s Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, including as director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program and director of the Eisenberg Center for Translational Therapeutics.
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