MD Anderson names new head of Radiation Oncology
BY Ron Gilmore
September 10, 2014
Medically Reviewed | Last reviewed by an MD Anderson Cancer Center medical professional on September 10, 2014
Stephen Hahn, M.D., an international leader in the field of radiation oncology, has been named division head of Radiation Oncology and chair of the Radiation Oncology department at MD Anderson. He joins the institution Jan. 1.
Hahn comes to MD Anderson from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, where he was the Henry K. Pancoast Professor and Chair in the department of radiation oncology. He also was the department’s director of clinical services, clinical research and research.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Hahn established a state-of-the-art proton therapy center, increased NIH-funded research and clinical trials, and served in university leadership roles. He recruited and mentored numerous junior faculty who have gone on to national leadership positions.
“Dr. Hahn’s expertise will further elevate the excellence established through the hard work and dedication of those who have built and grown MD Anderson’s radiation oncology programs,” said Ethan Dmitrovsky, M.D., provost and executive vice president at MD Anderson. “We are delighted that he will be leading this vital area. I am also thankful to Bruce Minsky, M.D., who has served with distinction as ad interim division head and department chair during this search.”
Board certified in radiation oncology, medical oncology and internal medicine, Hahn’s clinical interests include lung cancer and sarcoma. His research focuses on proton therapy and the molecular causes of the tumor microenvironment, particularly the study of chemical signals gone awry.
Hahn is a member of the board of directors for the American Society for Radiation Oncology, which also designated him a Fellow in 2013. In addition, he serves as a trustee for the American Board of Radiology. He is course director for the Flims Course for Clinical Trials Methodology, an educational program sponsored by various international cancer organizations that introduces junior clinical oncologists to the principles of good clinical trial design. He also is a faculty member in the Vail Course for Clinical Trials Methodology, sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Hahn earned his undergraduate degree from Rice University and his M.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia. He completed an internship and residency at the University of California Medical Centers-San Francisco, and a medical oncology fellowship and radiation oncology residency at the National Cancer Institute.