Board of Directors
Board of Directors Spotlight
Martin J. Murphy, DMedSc, PhD - Chair
Dr. Murphy is Founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AlphaMed Consulting, Inc., which provides strategic support for academic cancer centers and cancer drug development programs of global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Founding Executive Editor of the 16 year-old peer-reviewed journal, The Oncologist, he is also the Founding Executive Editor of Stem Cells, a 29-year-old journal of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Dr. Murphy was founder and former Chief Executive Officer of the Hipple Cancer Research Center, NIH principal investigator, and author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers. In addition to serving as director of Jennerex Biotherapeutics, he is a director of Aldagen, Inc., a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing and commercializing stem cell-derived clinical products. Dr. Murphy was a charter member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Pappas Ventures, Inc. (2002-2008) and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (Dr. Herbert Boyer, chair) of Hatteras Venture Partners. He is a member of Queen’s University-Belfast School of Medicine International Review Board, Chair of the Conquer Cancer Foundation, a founding director of the All-Ireland Cancer Foundation, and a former director of the American Cancer Society Foundation (2000-2009). A director of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (Dr. Charles Sanders, chair), Dr. Murphy is a member of the Board of Visitors of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, member of the Board of Advisors of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (Sam Donaldson, chair), and a charter member and director of C-Change, co-chaired by former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, vice chair. Dr. Murphy is Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit CEO Roundtable on Cancer at the request of former President Bush. William C. Weldon is chairman, Christopher A. Viehbacher, chairman-elect, and Robert A. Ingram was founding chairman of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. Dr. Murphy has been married for 45 years to Dr. Ann Murphy, president of AlphaMed Press. They have five children and ten grandchildren. Dr. Murphy received his PhD from New York University and his Doctor of Medical Science from Queen’s University-Belfast, h.c. He is a citizen of the United States and Ireland.
Lawrence H. Einhorn, MD
Dr. Einhorn is currently a Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Indiana University Medical Center, and a Lance Armstrong Foundation Distinguished Professor of Medicine. His main areas of research involve testicular cancer, lung cancer, and supportive cancer care. His numerous accolades and honors include an NCI Outstanding Investigator Grant and Distinguished Alumnus Awards from M.D. Anderson, University of Iowa Medical School, and Indiana University. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2001 and received Mastership in the American College of Physicians in 2003. He has been published in over 350 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Einhorn is a graduate of Indiana University and the University of Iowa.
Ira M. Elegant, Esquire
Mr. Elegant is a partner in Buchbinder & Elegant, P.A., a three-lawyer firm established in 1977 that focuses on civil litigation. Mr. Elegant has represented a number of high profile clients. Previously, he served as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Miami Beach and in-house counsel for a prominent US businessman and philanthropist. Mr. Elegant is the author of “Jurisdiction, Venue and Service of Process,” Florida Family Law, Second Edition, 1972; and “Jurisdiction, Venue and Service of Process,” Dissolution of Marriage Manual Florida Bar, Continuing Legal Education, 1976, 1979, 1985, Supplement. He is admitted to practice law in Florida and the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. He is also admitted to the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; the District of Columbia and U.S. Supreme Court; and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.
John H. Glick, MD
Dr. Glick is the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Professor of Clinical Oncology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine and serves as President of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Glick is a nationally recognized medical oncologist in the areas of Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and breast cancer. In addition to having an extremely active clinical practice, Dr. Glick is an acknowledged leader in designing clinical trials conducted at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a past president of ASCO and formerly served as the Chairman of the Subspecialty Board on Medical Oncology of the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Glick is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and is a Master of the American College of Physicians. He received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.
Michael Gordon, JD
Mr. Gordon is the co-founder, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Angelo, Gordon and Co., an investment advisory firm specializing in alternative investments. He began his career at L.F. Rothschild in 1970 and became a Managing Director in 1985. Mr. Gordon received a BA degree in Economics from Colby College in 1966 and a JD degree from Boston University School of Law in 1969. Mr. Gordon is a Trustee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Colby College, and is a Director of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.
Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD, FACP
A member of the M.D. Anderson faculty since 1976, Dr. Hortobagyi has been instrumental in developing combination chemotherapy for previously inoperable breast tumors and for improving multidisciplinary treatments for patients with all stages of breast cancer, including advanced disease. Among major honors for breast cancer research, Dr. Hortobagyi has received the Vermeille Medal from the City of Paris and the Brinker International Award for Clinical Research. He also received the Japanese Surgical Society Medal and the Sir Peter Freyer Medal in Galway, Ireland. He was co-founder of the World Summit Against Cancer, an international group of scientists, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, economists, lawmakers, and celebrities who are campaigning to ensure all people worldwide receive the most advanced cancer treatment. Dr. Hortobagyi has contributed more than 500 articles to peer-reviewed scientific journals, over 300 invited papers and over 100 textbooks. He has served on various task forces, chaired committees, and served on the Board of Directors for ASCO. He is also an ASCO past president.
Nora A. Janjan, MD, MPSA, MBA
Dr. Janjan is a Fellow in Health Care at the National Center for Policy Analysis after retiring as a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. In Texas, Dr. Janjan was appointed to serve on the Texas Radiation Advisory Board and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Medical Committee. She is past president and Chair of the Board of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and has served as Chair of the ASCO Membership Committee and a member of the Program Committee. Dr. Janjan is an active participant in numerous expert panels to develop health care guidelines. Her government service includes appointment to the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee and consultant to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She has unique credentials with a Master’s Degree in Public Service Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Rice University.
Thomas A. Marsland, MD
Dr. Marsland currently serves as President of Integrated Community Oncology Network (ICON), a 40-physician medical and radiation oncology group that delivers integrated radiation, medical oncology, and imaging studies to patients in Northeast Florida. Throughout his career, he has been an active participant in several regional oncology organizations and currently serves on the Association of Community Cancer Centers Membership and Public Affairs Committees, as well as the Oncology Issues editorial board. Dr. Marsland has been actively involved with the ASCO State/Regional Affiliate Program, twice serving as President of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology and once as Treasurer. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. He is a graduate of Providence College and Temple University School of Medicine.
Robert J. Mayer, MD
Dr. Mayer is Faculty Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Senior Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Stephen B. Kay Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where he is also Faculty Associate Dean for Admissions. He is presently the Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program of Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care. Dr. Mayer’s cancer research interests focus on gastrointestinal cancer, a subject about which he has published extensively. He has served as an Associate Editor for the New England Journal of Medicine and is a past president of ASCO. Dr. Mayer is a graduate of Williams College and the Harvard Medical School.
W. Charles Penley, MD - Treasurer
Dr. Penley is the treasurer of the Conquer Cancer Foundation. A native Tennessean, he has been treating patients with cancer in Nashville for nearly 26 years. Dr. Penley is currently a partner with Tennessee Oncology, PLLC. He has been a member of ASCO since 1987, is currently serving a second term as a presidentially appointed member of the Clinical Practice Committee (CPC), and is former Chair of the CPC. He has served as a member of the Public Issues Committee’s subcommittee on Cancer Care at the End of Life, and is a current member of the Cancer Education Committee and the Special Awards Selection Committee. Dr. Penley serves on the Board of Trustees of the Association of Community Cancer Centers and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He earned his medical degree from Wake Forest University’s Bowman Gray School of Medicine.
Thomas G. Roberts, Jr., MD, MSocSc
Dr. Roberts is a Managing Member and portfolio manager at Farallon Capital Management, LLC. Prior to joining Farallon, Dr. Roberts was an attending oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Instructor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, and a Visiting Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is board certified in Medical Oncology. Dr. Roberts obtained two baccalaureate degrees (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Pennsylvania, including a Bachelors of Science from the Wharton School of Business (Phi Beta Kappa junior year). He obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Roberts performed his internal medicine training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and his medical oncology training through the Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care Oncology Fellowship Program. Dr. Roberts has been an ASCO member since 2003.
Richard L. Schilsky, MD - Secretary
Dr. Schilsky is the secretary of the Conquer Cancer Foundation board and a past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. A professor of medicine at The University of Chicago Medical Center, he is an internationally recognized expert in gastrointestinal cancers and in the development of new cancer treatments. He has served on a number of peer review and advisory committees for the NCI and currently serves as chair of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors and as a member of the Clinical and Translational Research Advisory Committee. He is a member of the external advisory committees for several comprehensive cancer centers throughout the United States and Canada, and is a member of several editorial boards. He has published more than 275 articles and book chapters in medical literature and is the editor of four books. He earned his medical degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Schilsky was inspired to consider a career in oncology during college, when breast cancer claimed the life of his grandmother.
Sandra M. Swain, MD
Dr. Swain is a board member of the Conquer Cancer Foundation and the 2011 President-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. She is the Medical Director of Washington Cancer Institute at Washington Hospital Center (WHC) and Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University. She is an internationally known medical oncologist and clinical researcher. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the WHC and WHC Foundation and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. She previously served as the Deputy Director of the Medicine Branch and Chief of the Cancer Therapeutics Branch at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Swain has led more than 20 clinical trials and published more than 180 articles in prestigious medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Her research focuses on adjuvant therapy for breast cancer and molecular targeted therapy for advanced and inflammatory breast cancer. She holds degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Florida.
Allen S. Lichter, MD – ASCO CEO and CCF CEO (ex-officio with vote)
Dr. Lichter is the CEO of ASCO and the Conquer Cancer Foundation. He spent the major part of his career at the University of Michigan, first as Chair and Professor of Radiation Oncology and then as Dean of the Medical School, where he introduced an innovative curriculum and oversaw the creation of a new Biomedical Science Research facility. Prior to his tenure at the University of Michigan he was the Director of the Radiation Therapy Section of the NCI’s Radiation Oncology Branch. Dr. Lichter’s research led to a Gold Medal from the American Society for Radiation Oncology. Additionally, he was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science. He also served as a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and later, the National Cancer Institute.
Michael P. Link, MD – ASCO President (ex-officio without vote)
Dr. Link is the Lydia J. Lee Professor in Pediatric Cancer at Stanford University School of Medicine, and a member of the medical staff of the Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Dr Link’s research interests include the management of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin disease in children and the treatment of sarcomas of bone and soft tissue. Dr. Link received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his medical degree from Stanford University. He completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, and fellowships in immunology and hematology/oncology at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard University.
Nancy R. Daly, MS, MPH – Executive Director (ex-officio without vote)
Ms. Daly is the Executive Director of the Conquer Cancer Foundation. She launched her clinical nursing career at Johns Hopkins Oncology Center. Following graduate school at Columbia University, she stayed on as Director of Operations in the Radiation Oncology Department before resuming her clinical career as Director of the Chemical-modifier Program at the Joint Center for Radiotherapy at Harvard Medical School. Leaving the clinical world, Nancy started her policy career with the American Society for Radiation Oncology as the Director of Government Relations. Nancy joined ASCO as Director of Cancer Research Policy in 2004, later becoming Director of Grants for The ASCO Cancer Foundation, the precursor to the Conquer Cancer Foundation. She has served as Executive Director of the Foundation since 2009.