Goals for the AACR
The AACR has the potential to catalyze and shape the emerging fields of early detection and cancer interception. With the rapid technological advances in genomics/spatial biology, imaging/robotics, and drug formulation, we are at the tipping point for identifying those individuals incubating a pre-malignant process and developing novel approaches for intercepting cancer development. Through its journals, conferences, research funding, and task forces, the AACR can help bring together the critical mass of scientists and clinicians in this space to stimulate new translational solutions. My experience in early cancer detection and premalignant disease biology will enable me to integrate the expertise of academic (including relevant medical subspecialties), federal, and industry stakeholders necessary to accelerate and broaden the impact on patient care.
Research Interests
Translational research; bioinformatics; molecular biology; pathology; airway genomic alterations associated with smoking-related lung disease; early detection of lung cancer; lung cancer interception; novel intratumoral drug and energy therapies.
Current Affiliations
Founding chief, Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine; professor, medicine, pathology and bioinformatics; director, J&J Innovation Lung Cancer Center; and Alexander Graham Bell professor in health care entrepreneurship, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts; attending, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; global head, Lung Cancer Initiative/Interventional Oncology, Johnson & Johnson, Boston, Massachusetts.
Previous Positions
Director, Boston University-Boston Medical Center Cancer Center (2015-2018), Boston, Massachusetts; director, Translational Bioinformatics Program, Clinical Translational Science Institute (2008-2018); associate professor, bioinformatics (2008-2011); associate professor (2008-2011) and assistant professor (2005-2008), pathology and laboratory medicine; associate professor (2008-2011), assistant professor (2004-2008), and instructor (2003-2004), medicine; director, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Pulmonary Center (2005-2011); adjunct assistant professor (2004-2008) and instructor (2003-2004), bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
Education
BS, health sciences, Vanier College, Montreal, Canada (1991); MD, McGill University, Montreal, Canada (1996); MSc, bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts (2002).
Postdoctoral Training
Fellow, pulmonary and critical care medicine, Boston University (1996-1999), Boston, Massachusetts; resident, internal medicine, University of Toronto (1999-2003), Toronto, Canada.
Selected AACR Service, Honors, and Awards
Member, AACR Lung Cancer Task Force (2024-present); member, AACR Cancer Prevention Working Group (CPWG) Steering Committee (2021-2024); member, AACR Exploratory IND/Phase 0 Clinical Trials Task Force (2021-present); member, AACR COVID-19 and Cancer Task Force (2021-2022); member, AACR Special Conferences Committee (2020-present); member, AACR-Johnson & Johnson Lung Cancer Innovation Science Grants Joint Steering Committee (2018-2019); member, AACR Team Science Award Committee (2016-2018); cochair (2016-2017) and member (2010-2011, 2015-2016), Annual Meeting Program Committee; member, Cancer Prevention Committee (2013-2016); member, Education and Training Committee (2012-2015, 2019-2024); senior editor (2011-present) and member, Editorial Board (2008-2011), AACR Journal, Cancer Prevention Research.
Selected Non-AACR Service, Honors, and Awards
Recipient, Face of Hope Award, LUNGevity Foundation (2019); elected member, Association of American Physicians (2017); recipient, Research Innovation and Translation Achievement Award, American Thoracic Society (2017); recipient, The Alton Ocshner Award Relating Smoking and Disease (2013); recipient, Innovator of the Year Award, Boston University (2011); elected member, American Society for Clinical Investigation (2010); recipient, Caine Halter Hope Now Award, Uniting Against Lung Cancer (2010); chair, Executive Committee, BUMC IT Task Force, Boston University (2008-2009); co-director, Special Topics Course in Pathology: Lung Cancer and Lung Development, BUS (2005-2006); honoree, American Thoracic Society Travel Award Grant (2004); recipient, New England Respiratory Research Competition, Basic Science Award (2003); recipient, MA Thoracic Society Annual Scientific Award in Basic Science Research (2002, 2003); recipient, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Clinical Scientist Development Award (2002); honoree, Clinical Case of the Year, Massachusetts Thoracic Society (2000); recipient, J.W. McConnell Award (1992).