September 6, 2005

Stephen M. Hahn, MD, Named Chair of Radiation Oncology at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

(Philadelphia, PA) — Stephen M. Hahn, MD, has been named the new Chair and Henry K. Pancoast Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

As a radiation and medical oncologist, as well as an NIH-funded researcher, Dr. Hahn brings his many skills and talents to lead one of the nation’s foremost academic radiation oncology departments. He is an active clinician, with particular expertise in treating lung and genitourinary cancers and in the use of photodynamic therapy. As Vice Chair for Research for the Department of Radiation Oncology and Principal Investigator of National Cancer Institute grants, Hahn has led the expansion of the department’s research base, which has consistently ranked first or second in NIH funding.

“Dr. Hahn was selected for this position because of his reputation for excellence as a superb clinician and researcher, his highly collaborative and dynamic leadership style, and his vision for the department,” says Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCH, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and Dean of the School of Medicine. “On a personal level, he is highly regarded by colleagues, patients, and students as a gifted scientist, compassionate master physician, and an exceptional educator, communicator, and role model.”

Prior to joining Penn in 1996, Hahn was a Medical and Radiation Oncologist in Santa Rosa, CA. From 1993-95, he served as Chief of the National Cancer Institute’s Prostate Cancer Clinic, Clinical Pharmacology Branch, in Bethesda, MD, and a senior investigator at the NCI. Hahn also served as a Commander in the NCI’s U.S. Public Health Service from 1989-95.

After joining Penn in 1996, Hahn served as an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and Hematology/Oncology until 2001, when he was appointed Associate Professor. For the past several years, Hahn has served as Director of Penn’s Photodynamic Therapy program, which treats cancer patients through a minimally invasive process that uses a photosensitizer and concurrent laser light to selectively destroy tumors. He also directs the Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor Program for Treatment of cancer of the lung, head and neck and pancreas. In addition, Hahn is the Program Leader of the Radiation Biology Research Program in the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, and was recently appointed to the Cancer Center’s executive committee.

Board certified in Internal Medicine, Radiation Oncology, and Hematology/Oncology, Hahn received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine and his undergraduate degrees from Rice University. In 1987, he completed his residency and served as Chief Resident of Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Hahn also completed a Medical Oncology Fellowship at the NCI in 1991, and a Radiation Oncology Residency at the NCI in 1994.

Hahn currently serves as Associate Chair for the Annual Meeting and Program Committee of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, and as Sub-Committee Chair for the ASTRO Annual Meeting-Scientific Program.

A long-standing member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Hahn is also an active member of the Radiation Research Society, the American Society of Photobiology, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the University of Pennsylvania’s John Morgan Society.

Hahn resides in Glen Mills, PA, with his wife, Lotta, and their four children.

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PENN Medicine is a $2.7 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn’s School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes: its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, consistently rated one of the nation’s “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home health care and hospice.

This release is available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/sep05/Hahnchair.htm