Parker Institute Board Member Margaret Hamburg Named President-Elect of AAAS

Congratulations to Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg, M.D., foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and board member of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, who was recently named president-elect for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She will begin her term in February 2017.

“This is an exciting time for science,” said Dr. Hamburg. “The opportunities are enormous, but we must all work together to ensure that vital scientific discoveries continue and that they are translated as swiftly and effectively as possible into real-world products and interventions that will make a difference for people. More than ever, we must support, educate and advocate for the essential role that science plays in our lives and our future.”

Dr. Hamburg is a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). From 2009 to 2015, she advanced regulatory science and medical product innovation and oversaw the implementation of laws to curb tobacco use and enhance food safety. Before joining the FDA, Dr. Hamburg was vice president and senior scientist at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under former President Bill Clinton.

“Peggy’s deep knowledge and experience in science, health care and regulatory affairs has been invaluable as we push the boundaries in cancer immunotherapy research,” said Jeffrey Bluestone, Ph.D., Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy president and CEO. “We are fortunate to have a visionary leader like Peggy providing strategic direction and guidance to the Parker Institute.”

Dr. Hamburg will continue in her role as Parker Institute board member, as well as her role as NAM foreign secretary. 

About the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy brings together the best scientists, clinicians, and industry partners to build a smarter and more coordinated cancer immunotherapy research effort.

The Parker Institute is an unprecedented collaboration between the country’s leading immunologists and cancer centers: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Stanford Medicine, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Parker Institute was created through a $250 million grant from The Parker Foundation.

The Parker Institute’s goal is to accelerate the development of breakthrough immune therapies capable of turning cancer into a curable disease by ensuring the coordination and collaboration of the field’s top researchers, and quickly turning their findings into patient treatments. The Parker Institute network brings together six centers, more than 40 industry and nonprofit partners, more than 63 labs and more than 300 of the nation’s top researchers focused on treating the deadliest cancers.

Photo by: Bluerasberry