New Haven, Conn. —Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven have appointed Lajos Pusztai, MD, DPhil, a leader in translational cancer medicine, to be director of the breast cancer research group and co-director of the Cancer Genetics Research Program. He will also lead breast cancer medical oncology. Dr. Pusztai joins Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; He will begin his new appointment at Yale on August 1, 2012.
“Dr.
Pusztai has a remarkable ability to integrate basic breast cancer research to
improve outcomes and develop new treatment options for women with breast
cancer,” said Dr. Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., Director of Yale Cancer Center and
Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.
Dr. Pusztai's research focuses on
the developing pharmacogenomic markers of response to breast cancer therapy and
identifying methods to select the optimal treatment for each patient. His goal
is to discover the next generation of tamoxifen- and trastuzumab-like drugs
through the identification of critical drug targets in human breast
cancer. Dr. Pusztai is principal
investigator of several clinical trials investigating new drugs and molecular
predictors of disease outcome.
“I am confident that Dr. Pusztai’s experience, leadership, and goals for breast cancer research and care will strengthen the translational research and patient care mission at Yale Cancer Center. I look forward to welcoming him to Yale,” Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, Chief of Medical Oncology and Associate Director for Translational Research, said.
Currently,
Dr. Pusztai serves as a Professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology
in the Division of Cancer Medicine at MD Anderson. He is a member of the North American Breast
Cancer Steering Committee at the NCI the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Scientific Advisory Committee, the Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Biomarker
Committees for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles
on the biology and treatment of breast cancer and has contributed chapters to
numerous books. His research is supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute,
the US Department of Defense, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and
several philanthropic research organizations.
Dr. Pusztai received his medical degree from Semmelweis University of Medicine in Budapest, Hungary and his doctorate’s degree from the University of Oxford. He completed his internship at the University of Rochester and his medical oncology fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Yale Cancer Center is one of a select network of 41 comprehensive cancer
centers in the country designated by the National Cancer Institute and the only
one in Southern New England. Bringing together the resources of Smilow Cancer Hospital
at Yale-New Haven and Yale School of Medicine, its mission encompasses patient
care, research, cancer prevention and control, community outreach and
education.