Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) announced today that Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD, has been named Chief Physician Executive. A renowned surgeon-scientist, Dr. Drebin previously served as Chair of the Department of Surgery and brings decades of leadership and clinical experience specializing in pancreaticobiliary, upper gastrointestinal and liver surgery. He will succeed esteemed neuro-oncologist, Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD, following her retirement on July 2.
As Chief Physician Executive, Dr. Drebin will lead MSK’s academic clinical departments and the clinical practice plan, in collaboration with Hospital President Shelly Anderson, in addition to hospital-based research, medical education, training programs, and faculty affairs. He will be a strategic partner to Shelly in the leadership of the clinical enterprise and to the Chief Scientific Officer, Joan Massagué, PhD, in the oversight of hospital-based laboratory research. He will continue to serve patients as a member of the hepatopancreatobiliary service.
“Dr. Drebin is a trusted and admired figure among our faculty, and a prominent member of MSK’s leadership team since he joined MSK in 2017,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, President and CEO of MSK. “With his warm, collaborative leadership style, vast and varied expertise, and deep commitment to MSK, I have every confidence in Dr. Drebin’s success as Chief Physician Executive. We are extremely fortunate to have a leader of such rare talent and generosity, who inspires both deep respect and genuine affection among faculty and staff across MSK.”
Dr. Drebin has served MSK in numerous leadership capacities during his tenure. Notably, he has played a significant role in the development of the Kenneth C. Griffin Pavilion, including acting as a highly visible representative of MSK and champion of the Pavilion to the larger community. He also serves as Secretary of Memorial Medical Care, PC (MMC), a practice of MSK physicians.
“I am deeply honored to step into the role of Chief Physician Executive at MSK. Since joining the institution, I’ve seen firsthand the unwavering dedication to patient care and the extraordinary efforts our people make every day,” said Dr. Drebin. “It’s a true privilege to collaborate with such an exceptional group of clinicians, researchers and staff all united in our mission to end cancer for life.”
Prior to coming to MSK, Dr. Drebin held faculty appointments at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania. A pioneer in the development of targeted therapies for cancer, he has been the recipient of multiple NIH research awards, served on NIH study sections, and served as co-PI on an eight-year, $18 million-dollar Stand Up to Cancer Translational “Dream Team” award for pancreas cancer. His more recent research and clinical activity focus on the use of novel approaches to better understand pancreatic cancer cells and develop new, personalized treatments.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Drebin has held numerous leadership positions with multiple organizations. He is the current President of the American Surgical Association and is the Past-President of the Society of Surgical Oncology, Past-President of the Philadelphia Academy of Surgery, and Past-President of the Society of Clinical Surgery. He served previously as a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, on the Executive Committee of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, and as Chair of the Pancreas Cancer Disease Site Sub-Committee of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. In 2013, he was elected to the Institutes of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, now known as the National Academy of Medicine.
Media Contact
Nick Gardner
gardnern@mskcc.org