Newswise — SEATTLE – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a world leader in lifesaving research to prevent, detect and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases, today announced the hiring of Steve Stadum as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Stadum, currently the chief operating officer of Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute, played a central role in securing $1 billion in financing to launch a vast expansion of the Portland-based institute. On July 5, he will join Fred Hutch as a key member of President and Director Dr. Gary Gilliland’s staff.
Gilliland said the Portland native brings a remarkable breadth of experience and notable accomplishments.
“He’s fantastic at building organizations,” Gilliland said. “He understands academics, he understands administration, and he knows how to put buildings up. I have the greatest respect for what he did at OHSU.”
Additionally, Gilliland added, the move will increase the collaboration between two leading cancer research institutions. Dr. Tom Beer, deputy director of the Knight Cancer Institute, agreed. “We will have a key person with wonderful relationships here who will understand both institutions. And our common enemy is cancer,” said Beer, who called Stadum a friend with a vast network of admirers.
Stadum said his years at OHSU and the Knight Institute and his upcoming role at Fred Hutch are not simply professional decisions. When he was 15, his father died of lung cancer. When he was 30, his mother died of breast cancer.
“It’s personal to me,” he said. “It’s a privilege to work in a place where, although I’m not going to find the cure, I can help bring together those who can. It makes my life much more meaningful.”
As the Hutch’s new chief operating officer, Stadum will be responsible for all operational activities of the research center which employs more than 2,700 faculty and support staff.
He’ll oversee the relations between Fred Hutch and its Seattle Cancer Care Alliance partners: UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital. He fills the role left vacant by Myra Tanita, who retired in December after a 26-year career at the Hutch.
Stadum, began working for OHSU 17 years ago, first as corporate counsel and then in a variety of administrative leadership roles before being appointed COO of the Knight Cancer Institute in 2010. He said he is looking forward to moving to Seattle with his wife, Sally. The couple has two grown daughters: Laura, 30, who followed his footsteps into law; and Anne, 26, who works as an oncology nurse.
For more information, please see this Fred Hutch News Service article.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer with minimal side effects. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation’s first and largest cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Private contributions are essential for enabling Fred Hutch scientists to explore novel research opportunities that lead to important medical breakthroughs. For more information visit fredhutch.org or follow Fred Hutch on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
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