Susan Cohn, MD, named new dean for Clinical Research

Susan Cohn, MD, named new dean of Clinical Research

April 22, 2014

Pediatric oncologist and the leading authority on neuroblastoma, Susan Cohn, MD, has been named dean for Clinical Research at the University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences, effective immediately.

"In this role, Dr. Cohn will direct the strategy and operations of the Office of Clinical Research, which oversees our clinical research studies, ensuring they are conducted in a compliant, safe manner for all research participants," said Dr. Kenneth Polonsky, executive vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Biological Sciences Division.

Cohn, who is director of Clinical Sciences in the Department of Pediatrics, is also co-leader of the Clinical Trials Cluster at the University of Chicago's Institute for Translational Medicine.

"In addition, working closely with faculty, department chairs, Conrad Gilliam, PhD, in his role as dean for Basic Science and Julian Solway, MD, in his role as associate dean for Translational Medicine, Dr. Cohn will serve as an advisor to me as we work to expand the role of clinical research in the Biological Sciences Division," added Polonsky.

Cohn has devoted her career to caring for children with neuroblastoma and to understanding the molecular pathogenesis of the disease. She will take over the position from Walter Stadler, MD, who stepped down to focus on his recent appointment as section chief of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine.

Cohn said the leadership of Stadler and Solway, ITM's director, led to significant advances in the support for clinical trial research at the University of Chicago and that she is excited to work with everyone to develop additional strategies to learn from patients who are not enrolled in clinical trials and to create systems to transform the way data are aggregated and applied to the outcome of patients.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to advance our clinical research program at the university," Cohn said. "To continue to initiate protocol-driven research efficiently and to ensure that high-quality compliant clinical trials are conducted, we will need to expand our clinical trial infrastructure…I'm greatly looking forward to working with our faculty, section chiefs, department chairs and Dr. Conrad Gilliam, Dr. Julian Solway and Dr. Kenneth Polonsky to expand the role of clinical research in the Biological Sciences Division."