Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Appoints Andrew Lowy, MD, As Chair Of Its Scientific And Medical Advisory Board

Leading Pancreatic Cancer Advocacy Organization's Scientific and Clinical Board Guides Planning of Research Initiatives and Services for Patients, Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals

News provided by

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

Jul 02, 2019, 07:00 ET

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., July 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), the largest organization tackling the world's toughest cancer, today announced new leadership for its Scientific and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB). Andrew M. Lowy, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, will take the helm as its new chair, effective immediately. Margaret A. Tempero, MD, Director of the UCSF Pancreas Center and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, is the new chair-elect.

PanCAN's SMAB is composed of leading cancer scientists, clinicians and healthcare professionals who specialize in pancreatic cancer from institutions across the United States. The SMAB provides scientific and clinical expertise to guide PanCAN in planning and implementing its research initiatives, as well as its in-depth information, resources and services for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

"Our SMAB is made up of some of the most accomplished scientists and medical professionals in the field, representing the nation's leading institutions and high-volume centers for pancreatic cancer," said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, president and CEO of PanCAN. "Through Dr. Lowy's leadership, our goal is to improve patient outcomes through advanced research, better early detection strategies, improved treatment options and ensuring patients receive the best support and care."

Lowy joined the board in 2016 and served as chair-elect for the past two years. Tempero has been with the board since PanCAN's founding in 1999.

"It's an honor to serve in this distinguished chair position and to work with this team – one that is on the leading edge of pancreatic cancer research and treatment," said Lowy, a physician-researcher with Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. "Our goal is to help PanCAN accelerate progress that will lead to better patient outcomes for this deadly disease."

In addition to Lowy and Tempero, the following are members of the PanCAN SMAB:

Dafna Bar-Sagi, PhD, Perlmutter Cancer Center/ NYU Langone Health
Gregory Beatty, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Jordan Berlin, MD, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Suresh Chari, MD, Mayo Clinic
Eric A. Collisson, MD, University of California, San Francisco
Howard Crawford, PhD, University of Michigan
Channing Der, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
George A. Fisher, Jr., MD, PhD, Stanford University
Jason Fleming, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center
Joseph M. Herman, MD, MSc, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Manuel Hidalgo, MD, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine
Sunil Hingorani, MD, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Michael Hollingsworth, PhD, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Hedy Kindler, MD, University of Chicago
Alison Klein, MHS, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Steven Leach, MD, Dartmouth
Anirban Maitra, MBBS, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Nipun Merchant, MD, University of Miami
Jeannine Mills, MS, RD, CSO, LD, Dartmouth
Nicholas Nissen, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Eileen O'Reilly, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Gloria Petersen, PhD, Mayo Clinic
Philip Agop Philip, MD, PhD, Karmanos Cancer Center
Vincent Picozzi, MD, Virginia Mason Medical Center
Rosalie C. Sears, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University
Diane Simeone, MD, Perlmutter Cancer Center/ NYU Langone Health
Hilary Turnberg, BSN, RN, Virginia Mason Medical Center

All SMAB members contribute their expertise on a pro bono basis with no conflict of interest between their professional work and the volunteer work they do for PanCAN.

To learn more about PanCAN and its programs and services, visit pancan.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is dedicated to fighting the world's toughest cancer. In our urgent mission to save lives, we attack pancreatic cancer on all fronts: research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy. Our effort is amplified by a nationwide network of grassroots support. We are determined to improve patient outcomes today and to double pancreatic cancer survival.

Media Contact:
Julie Vasquez
Public Relations Manager
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
310-697-9129
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Pancreatic Cancer Action Network