The Morton M. Kligerman, MD Endowed Professorship of Radiation Oncology

Morton M. KligermanThe Professorship was established in 2003 by the bequest of Irma A. Howard to honor Morton M. Kligerman, MD (1917–2006) for his pioneering work in the field of radiation oncology. Irma Howard was a grateful patient of Dr. Kligerman; her gift is intended to ensure the continuation of innovative research, patient care, and training programs in this important area of cancer care. The Kligerman Professorship is awarded to a nationally prominent educator and physician, focusing particularly on continued research and innovation in the field of radiation oncology.

Dr. Kligerman helped lead the emergence of radiation oncology as a supplement and an alternative to surgical treatment for cancer in the U.S. With appointments at Columbia, Yale, University of New Mexico Hospital (where he worked with Los Alamos National Laboratory), and the Perelman School of Medicine, he was a national leader. Many of the techniques he pioneered are still in use and have saved and improved the lives of multitudes of cancer patients.

 

Lin photoCurrent Chairholder
Alexander Lin, MD

Dr. Alexander Lin is Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.  He is actively engaged in both clinical and translational research, which has been funded by NIH grants since 2014.  

Dr. Lin earned his BA from Yale University and his MD at the University of Michigan, where he also completed his residency.  

He joined the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. Dr. Lin’s clinical work centers on using radiation therapy to treat patients with head and neck cancers. Similarly, his research has focused on innovative approaches to precision head and neck radiotherapy, such as dose de-escalation for patients with favorable prognosis. He has also studied combining novel drugs that can modulate the tumor microenvironment to increase the efficacy of radiation in those with radioresistant disease. More recently, he has been investigating the use of ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) proton radiation to improve the therapeutic ratio of treatment; he is actively involved in clinical trials to study this approach. 

Previous Chairholders

  • Eli Glatstein, MD 2003–2014
  • James M. Metz, MD 2014–2015
  • Amit Maity, MD, PhD 2015-2022