Dr. Stephen Hahn joins MD Anderson senior leadership team

Appointed Deputy President, Chief Operating Officer 

MD Anderson News Release February 03, 2017

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced the appointment of Stephen Hahn, M.D., to the senior leadership role of deputy president and chief operating officer. Hahn has served as division head, department chair and professor of Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson since Jan. 1, 2015.

“As the institution continues to change and grow and my responsibilities have expanded to include greater focus on philanthropy, federal and local policy, and global activities, I felt it necessary to appoint a leader to execute on the vision and strategic direction of MD Anderson while overseeing its complex daily operations,” said Ronald A. DePinho, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “Steve has been an engaged and thoughtful member of numerous institutional efforts. He is highly respected for his clinical expertise, collaborative approach and deep understanding of the rapidly changing health care environment.”

In this leadership role, Hahn reports directly to MD Anderson’s president. He carries the full authority of the president to act on his behalf and in his absence. He is responsible for day-to-day management of MD Anderson, ensuring excellence across all business, clinical and faculty matters. Hahn will serve as the intermediary between the president and the executive vice president (EVP) of Administration, provost and EVP, and EVP and physician-in-chief. He also will co-chair the institution’s Shared Governance Committee, which includes executive leaders, division heads and faculty senate representatives.

“Since joining MD Anderson more than two years ago, I have had the pleasure of leading and serving alongside our outstanding faculty, so I am honored to have been asked to assume a new institutional leadership role,” said Hahn. “I look forward to working with the entire MD Anderson community and continuing to serve our patients who turn to us in their time of need.”

A recognized international leader in the field of radiation oncology, Hahn joined MD Anderson from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, where he served as chair of the Radiation Oncology department from 2005 to 2014.

An active clinician who is board certified in radiation oncology, medical oncology and internal medicine, Hahn’s clinical interests and expertise include both lung cancer and sarcoma. His research focuses on the molecular causes of the tumor microenvironment, particularly the study of chemical signals that go awry (known as aberrant signal transduction pathways), and the evaluation of proton therapy as a means to improve the efficiency of radiation therapy. Hahn’s research has resulted in numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. 

Hahn earned his undergraduate degree from Rice University and his M.D. at Temple University in Philadelphia, and completed his internship and residency at the University of California, San Francisco Hospitals. He completed a medical oncology fellowship and radiation oncology residency at the National Cancer Institute.

“This is an important time for MD Anderson. We must be strategic and thoughtful while developing creative solutions and taking decisive actions,” said DePinho. “My appointment of Steve is one such action. With the support and engagement from the entire MD Anderson community, we will deliver on our mission to end cancer together.”