(Philadelphia, PA) — The newly appointed Director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Craig B. Thompson, MD, has named Caryn Lerman, PhD, Deputy Director, and Joseph R. Carver, MD, Chief of Staff. The appointments of Lerman, Carver, and Thompson provide a leadership team that will allow the Abramson Cancer Center to maintain its position as one of the top five Comprehensive Cancer Centers in National Cancer Institute funding. Together they will oversee 300 active cancer researchers and 299 full-time Penn physicians and faculty from eight Schools and 41 Departments across the University involved in research in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. They will be responsible for $180 million in grant funding for cancer research and training, including $83.4 million in NCI funding.

Lerman joined Penn in 2001 as Mary W. Calkins Professor in the Department of Psychiatry of the School of Medicine and the Annenberg Public Policy Center. For the last five years, Lerman has served as Director of the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center at Penn and Director of Cancer Control and Population Sciences in the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, the basic science core of the Abramson Cancer Center.

Following graduation from Pennsylvania State University, Lerman received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from USC and undertook clinical training at the Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center. She served on the faculty of the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Temple University School of Medicine. In 1993, Lerman was recruited to the Lombardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University Medical Center where she directed the Cancer Control Research Program until she was recruited to Penn. Lerman has been a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the NCI, and the National Human Genome Research (ELSI) Evaluation and Planning Review Committee. She has
authored over 200 scientific papers on genetic susceptibility testing for cancer and nicotine dependence pharmacogenetics, and has received awards for her scholarship from the National Cancer Institute, the American Psychological Association and the American Society of Preventive Oncology.

Carver has been a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Penn since 2003. He currently serves as the Senior Administrative Officer of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and is a member of the Division of Cardiology. He will continue to hold both of these positions while serving as the Chief of Staff of the Abramson Cancer Center.

A graduate of Temple University, Carver undertook his medical training at Hahnemann University School of Medicine. In the past he has served on the staffs of Hahnemann, Jeanes Hospital and the American Oncologic Hospital. For the 10 years prior to joining Penn, Carver served as a Corporate Medical Director for Aetna U.S. Healthcare.

Carver brings extensive administrative experience to the Abramson Cancer Center having served on the Board of Directors of numerous for-profit and non-profit organizations. He has served on the Board of Overseers of Penn’s Nursing School and recently helped lead the Cancer Cardiovascular Survivors Guidelines Taskforce for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Carver has authored over 75 medical papers and monographs and last year received the Distinguished Teacher Award in Cardiology from the School of Medicine. His expertise in the treatment of cardiac disease during cancer therapy has won him national recognition.

Joining the Abramson Cancer Center's new administrative team is Mr. Robert F. Wynne. Wynne will join the Center as the Director of Financial and Administrative Affairs. In this new position, he will provide financial oversight over the combined activities of the Abramson Cancer Center and the Department of Cancer Biology. A graduate of Cornell University, Wynne joins the ACC management team having served previously as the Business Administrator for the Department of Cancer Biology and the Director of Fiscal and Administrative Operations in the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute. Prior to that he, served as Business Administrator of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine.

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