Steven Artandi, MD, PhD, has been named the next Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI). In this role, Artandi, a professor of hematology and biochemistry, will develop programs to advance cancer detection and therapies; increase clinical trial participation and diversity; prioritize the translation of Stanford discoveries; and continue building SCI’s strong population science program. He will also work with the leadership of the Cancer Service Line to drive the Service Line Planning and Performance initiative of the Integrated Strategic Plan across Stanford Medicine.

In a letter announcing the appointment to the Department, Dean Lloyd Minor, MD, and Stanford Health Care President and CEO David Entwistle describe Artandi as “a strategic thinker and collaborative physician-scientist.” They say that his “understanding of the opportunities to develop synergies between the elements of our tripartite mission — excellence in research, patient care, and education — make him uniquely qualified to further the SCI’s goal of translating Stanford discoveries into individualized cancer care.”

Artandi joined Stanford Medicine in 2000 following fellowship training in medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital. As a renowned cancer biologist, he has focused his research on the early stages of cancer development and the role of telomerase in stem cells and cancer cells. In 2015, he received the National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award for his precision health-focused research into reversing cellular immortality in cancer.