Newswise — (Sioux Falls, SD and Fargo, ND) – After conducting an extensive search for a physician-scientist to lead Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Research, Sanford Health has hired internationally renowned breast cancer researcher and clinician, Brian Leyland-Jones, MB BS, PhD, to lead this new breast cancer genomic research program and state-of-the-art breast cancer center.
Dr. Leyland-Jones will play a vital role as director of Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Research and also as a senior scientist with Sanford Research.
Dr. Leyland-Jones is known for his leadership in the development of novel clinical trials and how genomics plays a pivotal part in the advancement of individualized cancer therapies in the fight against breast cancer. He most recently served as associate vice president and director of the Emory Winship Cancer Institute. Before joining Emory in 2006, Dr. Leyland-Jones was the Minda de Gunzberg Chair in Oncology and professor of medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Dr. Leyland-Jones earned biochemistry, medical and doctoral degrees from the University of London. Following residency training at Hammersmith, Brompton, St. Bartholomew's and London hospitals, he completed a clinical pharmacology fellowship at Cornell University and a medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He then joined the academic staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York Hospitals with a special research interest in early clinical evaluation of new anti-cancer compounds. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and book contributions, 200 abstracts and 34 patents.
"We live at a pivotal moment in cancer research, when the interface of deep genomic profiling and targeted therapies has the potential of transforming breast cancer,” said Dr. Leyland-Jones. “I am honored to join the outstanding Sanford team, and to leverage Denny Sanford’s extraordinary vision and gift with partners and colleagues around the globe, in utilizing genomic medicine to further both the prevention and cure of this devastating disease."
The launch of Edith Sanford Breast Cancer followed a $100 million gift from Denny Sanford to accelerate the research and advances in care for women with breast cancer. “We believe we are at the dawn of a new era in breast cancer treatment and research,” says Kimberly Earle, president of the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation. A portion of this gift was used to establish a biobank to support the work of Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Research. The biobank is a repository for genetic information from women of all ages, medical histories and backgrounds. The vision is to create a genetic repository unlike anything available today for all breast cancer researchers in the U.S. Researchers will use the collected samples to look for changes in DNA that are associated with certain types of breast cancer.
“We are so excited to welcome Dr. Leyland-Jones,” said Sanford Research President Eugene Hoyme, MD. “He’s an experienced leader with a national reputation in genomics, a passion for this cause and an extensive background that surpasses most.” Colleague Kimberly Earle agrees, “As the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer movement continues to grow nationwide, Dr. Leyland-Jones’ knowledge, prestige and networking will prove an invaluable asset as we speed toward better treatments and ultimately the eradication of breast cancer.”
About Sanford HealthSanford Health is an integrated health system headquartered in Fargo, ND and Sioux Falls, SD and consists of two long-standing organizations that merged in 2009. Sanford is now the largest, rural, not-for-profit health care system in the nation with locations in 112 communities in seven states. In addition, Sanford Health is in the process of developing international clinics in Ireland, Ghana, Israel and Mexico. Sanford Health includes 34 hospitals, 116 clinic locations and nearly 1000 physicians in 70 specialty areas of medicine. With more than 20,000 employees, Sanford Health is the largest employer in North and South Dakota. The system is experiencing dynamic growth and development in conjunction with Denny Sanford's $400 million gift in 2007, the largest gift ever to a health care organization in America, and then a $100 million gift in 2010. These gifts are making possible the implementation of the several initiatives including global children's clinics, multiple research centers and finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and breast cancer.
###
RSS