PHILADELPHIA – The members of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have elected Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), as the AACR President-Elect for 2023-2024. LoRusso will become President-Elect on Monday, April 17, during the AACR’s Annual Business Meeting of Members at the AACR Annual Meeting 2023 in Orlando, Florida. She will assume the Presidency in April 2024 at the AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

LoRusso is a professor of medicine (medical oncology); chief of experimental therapeutics; associate cancer center director for experimental therapeutics; and leader of the Phase I disease aligned research team at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital. An internationally recognized expert in drug development and early-phase clinical investigation of novel therapies, LoRusso’s innovative and tireless leadership has helped shape the field of translational and clinical cancer research and has greatly contributed to crucial therapeutic breakthroughs for patients with cancer.

As the AACR’s next President-Elect, LoRusso will work with the Officers and Directors of the AACR Board and the AACR membership at large, which includes more than 54,000 members in 130 countries, to further the AACR’s mission to prevent and cure all cancers through research, education, communication, collaboration, science policy and advocacy, and funding for cancer research.
“I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to promote the AACR’s mission and advocate for the support of cancer research on behalf of all AACR members,” said LoRusso. “We are facing both exciting and challenging times in cancer research and cancer care delivery. It is critical for clinical research to keep pace with the unparalleled scientific discoveries that we are achieving if we are to reduce the suffering and mortality from cancer. Moreover, we must ensure that all patients have access to clinical trials. By bringing scientific discoveries into clinical trials and expanding the reach of trials to all populations, we will change the face of cancer. As AACR President, I look forward to championing the work of scientists, clinical trialists, clinicians, and patient advocates—all with an eye to improving the care we provide patients with cancer.”

“Dr. LoRusso is an extraordinary physician-scientist whose pioneering work has spanned basic, translational, and clinical cancer research and has led to paradigm shifts in the treatment of cancer,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “Additionally, she is a dedicated and supportive colleague and mentor whose years of service to the AACR have helped our organization grow in countless ways. The AACR and its global membership will benefit greatly from Dr. LoRusso’s vision, scientific expertise, and commitment to the AACR’s mission to prevent and cure all cancers as she assumes this new leadership position. We heartily congratulate her on her election as the AACR’s 2023-2024 President-Elect and 2024-2025 President.”

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