The Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Professorship in Clinical Oncology

AbramsonsCreated in 1988 through the generosity of Madlyn and Leonard Abramson, the Professorship is an expression of the long-time commitment of the Abramson family to the ongoing advancement of cancer research, outstanding patient care, and cancer education at Penn Medicine.

In 2002, Penn’s Cancer Center was renamed the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania to recognize the extraordinary generosity and support of the Abramson family. To enhance cancer care for families and patients throughout the Philadelphia region, the family has established several endowed professorships, founded a cancer research institute, and annually funded additional research and care programs at Penn Medicine. Their philanthropy and service have been instrumental in the development of the Abramson Cancer Center into a position of national leadership.

Leonard Abramson is the Founder of U.S. Healthcare and a major philanthropist in the Philadelphia region. Madlyn K. Abramson received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Penn. She served as a Trustee Emerita of the University of Pennsylvania; Member Emerita of the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women; Honorary Chair of the Abramson Cancer Center Director’s Leadership Council; and served on the Penn Medicine Board of Trustees 1986 until her passing in 2020.


SchuchterCurrent Chairholder
Lynn M. Schuchter, MD

Lynn M. Schuchter, MD is the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Professor of Clinical Oncology as well as Director of the Tara Miller Melanoma Center. Dr. Schuchter received her medical degree from the Chicago Medical School and completed her internship and residency at Michael Reese Hospital. She performed training and research fellowships at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center.

Dr. Schuchter is a compassionate clinician whose research has focused on the development of new treatments for patients with melanoma in studies that have focused on immunotherapy and targeted approaches. She has published widely on novel treatments for patients with melanoma and was elected to serve as President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology starting in 2023. Dr. Schuchter has a strong commitment to and passion for mentorship and a proven record of training physicians and scientists interested in both translational and clinical oncology research.

Previous Chairholder

John H. Glick, MD