Announcing New Roles for Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil
December 20, 2019
To:Admin Forum/PSOM Faculty/UPHS Leadership
From:J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD
Kevin B. Mahoney
We are pleased to announce that, in addition to his current role as Director of the Abramson Cancer Center, Dr. Robert H. Vonderheide has been appointed as Vice President for Cancer Programs for UPHS and Vice Dean for Cancer Programs in the Perelman School of Medicine, effective January 1, 2020. These roles align with his current leadership responsibilities for cancer programs at Penn Medicine and are consistent with NCI standards for Designated Cancer Centers.
In the two and a half years since Bob became director, the ACC has posted a string of inspiring accomplishments with profound impact for patients both in our region and across the globe. Among them: seven FDA approvals for new cancer drugs and therapies developed here in our own laboratories and clinics, and development of integration pathways to ensure that patients across our entire health system are able to access leading-edge care and clinical trials no matter where they live. During his tenure, Bob has also led efforts to refresh the Abramson Cancer Center’s strategic plan, resulting in the enhancement of service line productivity, strategic improvements in clinical research infrastructure, and the launch of a number of new initiatives and centers across Penn Medicine.
Guided by his own experiences as a nationally renowned translational researcher charting new approaches to immunotherapy, Bob is uniquely skilled at nurturing collaborations across disciplines, which is evident in the significant expansion of resources for science, discovery and innovation that have taken place under his leadership. As a result, the Abramson Cancer Center has never been in a stronger position for future success than it is today.
Bob’s passion for Penn Medicine, our faculty and staff, and the patients we care for is apparent to all who know and work with him. With these new roles, we look forward to working together to build on the momentum and impact of our cancer programs across each of our mission areas. Please join us in congratulating Bob on his new appointments.