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The External Advisory Board consists of National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center directors, senior leaders, administrators, and scientists who provide advice to Huntsman Cancer Institute related to its Cancer Center Support Grant and evaluate the Cancer Center's progress toward strategic goals.

Board Members

John D. Carpten, PhD

Director, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Chief Scientific Officer
Irell & Manella Cancer Center Director’s Distinguished Chair
Morgan & Helen Chu Director’s Chair of the Beckman Research Institute

Ernest Hawk, MD, MPH

Vice President and Division Head of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences
Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair for Early Prevention of Cancer
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
University of Texas

Caryn Lerman, PhD

Director, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Dean for Cancer Programs
H. Leslie and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research
Distinguished Professor
University of Southern California

Nita J. Maihle, PhD

Associate Director for Basic Research
Professor, Departments of Medicine & Cell Biology
University of Mississippi Medical Center

Olufunmilayo Olopade, MD, FACP

Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics
Director, Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics & Global Health
University of Chicago

Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD

Director, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Executive Vice President for Research, VUMC
Benjamin F. Byrd, Jr. Professor of Oncology
Brock Family Directorship in Career Development
Professor of Biochemistry and Otolaryngology
Vanderbilt University

Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD

Director, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Jesse, Sara, Andrew, Abigail, Benjamin and Elizabeth Lurie Professor of Oncology
Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Northwestern University

John Pounardjian, MBA

Associate Director for Administration, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Timothy Rebbeck, PhD

Vincent L. Gregory, Jr. Professor of Cancer Prevention
Director, Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Associate Director, Equity and Engagement
Dana-Farber Harvard Cancer Center

Anil Rustgi, MD

Irving Professor of Medicine
Director, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Dean of Oncology
Chief, Cancer Services
NY Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Sandra Swain, MD, FACP, FASCO

Associate Dean for Research Development
Professor of Medicine
Georgetown University Medical Center