Interested candidates, please forward a copy of your CV to Rob Henges - rhenges@houstonmethodist.org

Director of the Cancer Institute

• The core mission of the Director of the Cancer Institute of the Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center is to guide the further development of disease management teams that work to improve the quality of patient care and seek to bring innovation and creativity to the task of curing cancer.
• The Director of the Cancer Institute will serve to administrate and lead the center’s three core areas of focus: Clinical Excellence, Research, and Academics.The Director of the Cancer Institute will oversee recruitment of cancer-related investigators in the various academic departments and will control the utilization of Cancer Center research and office space, core facilities/services, and financial resources committed to the Cancer Center.
• The Director of the Cancer Institute is responsible for aligning the goals and direction of the clinical service/departments with that of the organization through collaboration with other institutional leaders and colleagues.
• The Director of the Cancer Institute should work closely with HMH administration in order to bridge any gaps between the clinical and non-clinical aspects of the Methodist Cancer Center administration.
• The Director of the Cancer Institute will demonstrate and foster the culture of the ICARE values in all aspects of their position responsibilities.

Core Responsibilities:

• 
  Director of the Cancer Institute: The Director of the Cancer Institute is a highly qualified scientist and administrator with leadership experience and expertise appropriate for establishing a vision for the Cancer Center and cancer services, advancing scientific goals, fostering patient care excellence and managing a complex organization. The director is effective in using institutionally designated authorities to further these goals throughout the Houston Methodist System. In a consortium, the Director of the Cancer Institute plays a major role in advancing the integration of the partner institutions into the research and other activities of the Cancer Center. The director should have an appropriate time commitment to the Directorship of the Cancer Institute role.
• Over other cancer service line Department Chairs, with ability to appoint decision making committees and formally codified authorities that enable the Director of the Cancer Institute to influence cancer policies and processes at the institutional level.
• Oversight and prioritization of research space, resources, personnel, and equipment/software dedicated to the Cancer Center for the enhancement of Cancer Center research capabilities in concert with institutional
• Over Cancer Center inpatient and outpatient clinical research facilities and the appointment and evaluation of individuals critical to linking oncology care to clinical research;
• Over faculty membership in the Cancer Center, and of their periodic review for continued membership;
• Over central discretionary funds (e.g., philanthropic funds, indirect costs, institutional support, and clinical revenues)
• In Consortium Centers, if applicable, Director of the Cancer Institute oversight for integration of scientists in collaborating institutions into the Research Programs of the Center and CCSG
• Over the development of compensation structures for Oncologist, across multiple cancer service lines, to align with the mission of the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center’s focus on Interventional Treatment Trial Accruals, Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials, high-impact publications, and Education and
• Director of the Cancer Institute Role in Clinical Research and Clinical Trials;
• Director of the Cancer Institute, and those appointed to oversight committees by Director, has authority and responsibility for the key components of the processes related to contracting, monitoring, compliance and regulation of any cancer relevant clinical research taking place at the
• Director of the Cancer Institute is responsible for: 1) documenting interventional clinical trials that are making a difference, e.g., advancing the field or changing medical practice; and 2) accrual of patients to interventional treatment clinical trials, including all categories of trials (national, institutional, externally peer-reviewed, and industry) annually and identifying challenges to both

Scientific Oversight:

• A critical activity for Cancer Centers involved in clinical research is a mechanism for assuring rigorous internal oversight of the scientific aspects of all the cancer clinical studies in the institution or institutions that formally comprise the Center. This function is complimentary to that of the IRB, which focuses on the protection of human subjects. Under the Oversight of this role, the role has authority in the development of scientific review processes:
• This normally entails two stages of scientific review:
• Disease groups (Disease Oriented Groups) consisting of scientists, clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, biostatisticians, etc., with expertise in a disease or discipline are responsible for the initial scientific review of concepts and protocols, feasibility, and evaluation of existing disease portfolios (competing trials, types, and intervention
• Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (“PRMC”) will act as the scientific “pre-review” committee to determine if a protocol should be submitted to the
• It is ultimately responsible for the scientific review of protocols and has the sole authority to authorize progression of clinical studies for IRB submission. The PRMC is responsible for review not only of each protocol but of how each protocol complements the overall trial portfolio of the Center in support of the overarching NCI designation strategy. The PRMC should ensure thorough statistical review and establish a defined process for prioritization. The PRMC (and/or the disease groups) should give reasonable consideration as to whether protocols under review have the potential to accrue participants of underrepresented populations, and other populations, in the Center’s catchment area, although protocols may not be specifically written for that purpose. The PRMC is responsible for initial continuing review of open protocols, including accrual, new safety information, existing portfolio/type, scientific relevance, and alignment with the HMNCC strategic focus and will provide its recommendations to the IRB. Such recommendations can also be to close any particular study.
• The Center must be able to document interactions between the PRMC and the disease groups, as well as any interactions with the IRB.
• Accordingly, the Director of the Cancer Institute or her designated appointee has authority and responsibility for the following:

• • Criteria and process for submission of institutional clinical trial protocols for review and approval;
  • Process for scientific review of all cancer clinical research protocols of the institution;
  • Review criteria that are used to assess scientific rationale, study design, expected accrual rates, biostatistical input and feasibility for completion within a reasonable time period;
  • How the accrual of minorities and other underrepresented populations into clinical trials is considered and monitored in open protocols;
  • Criteria used for monitoring ongoing institutional protocol research to evaluate scientific progress, including accrual rates, new safety information and scientific relevance, to ensure that the scientific aims of the study can be completed;
• The process and criteria used for prioritizing the activation of cancer clinical trial protocols at the institution;
• The process, criteria, and authority for terminating a clinical
• Describe PRMS operations relative to the IRB approval process with emphasis on the complementarity of the two entities and absence of conflict, overlap or duplication;
• Suitability of investigators and key personnel to perform the research;
• Evaluation of the appropriateness of overall strategy, methodology to accomplish the specific aims of the Center;
• Inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), as justified by scientific goals. Data Safety Monitoring Program:
• Establish a Data Safety Monitoring Program (“DSMP”) and associated Data Safety Monitoring Board (“DSMB”) to support the regulatory requirements of investigator originated and/or Houston Methodist sponsored interventional clinical trials within the Cancer Center;
• The DSMP shall be developed in concert with the HMRI Office of Research Protections to ensure compliance and avoid duplication of

Transdisciplinary Collaboration and Coordination:

• An actively functioning Center promotes innovative and interactive research opportunities through the formation of formal scientific research programs, comprised of groups of investigators who share common scientific interests and goals and participate in competitively funded research and in publications and other interactive activities. Inter- and intra- programmatic collaborations are important, as well as collaborations with NCI-designated Cancer Centers and other external partners. These activities maximize the potential of the institution, whether small or large, to conduct transdisciplinary and translational
• Movement of scientific findings through the translational pipeline, (i.e., basic to pre-clinical and early clinical development, then to late phase trials or other types of definitive studies appropriate to the nature of the research) is also critical and is within the scope of responsibility of the Director of the Cancer Institute and the program leads overseeing individual scientific research programs. NCI and other peer- reviewed translational science and clinical trial funding mechanisms (e.g., grants for SPOREs, U-Grants, multi-investigator R01s and program projects, State of Texas CPRIT funding mechanisms, consortia for Phase 0/I/II Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Program, and the NCI NCTN) are important avenues for advancing discoveries originating in the Center and coordination of research across these mechanisms is strongly
• Commercial development is an important mechanism for translation at the Center, and the Director of the Cancer Institute is responsible for assisting, providing mentorship, and linking institutional resources, for its members, in moving their innovations along the development.

QUALIFICATIONS

• MD. or equivalent degree(s). Additional degrees, (e.g. PhD, MBA, MPH) and/or other formal education preparation service leadership role are desirable.
• Demonstration of Clinical and Academic success that is sufficient to qualify for appointment to Weill-Cornell Medical College faculty
• Previous demonstration of interpersonal skill essential to effective problem solving, conflict resolution and
• Eligibility for Texas licensure as appropriate.