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12 n e w h a v e n B I Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m New Yale Cancer Center director Winer eyes expansion, new research collaborations By Liese Klein Y ale executives approached Dr. Eric Winer three times in recent years about taking the top post at the Yale Cancer Center, but he turned them down twice. "is time was a little differ- ent," Winer said. "I'm in a differ- ent place in my career and I wanted to have the opportunity to build some- thing bigger." Winer started his new job as the director of Yale Cancer Center (YCC) and physician-in-chief of Smilow Can- cer Hospital on Feb. 1. He took the role aer 25 years at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the top five cancer programs in the nation. ere he held the posts of ompson Chair in Breast Cancer Research, chief clinical development officer and senior vice president for medical affairs. He also served as pro- fessor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Among a field of outstanding candi- dates, Eric stood out for his leadership and for his commitment to ensuring that Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital have a lasting and transformative impact on the pre- vention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer," said Dr. Nancy J. Brown, dean of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. Chris O'Connor, who is set to become Yale New Haven Health's new CEO next month, was equally generous in his praise. "Dr. Winer's commitment to excel- lence in patient care and vast experi- ence in the field of oncology will help to move Smilow and YCC forward in the state and the nation," O'Connor said. Taking Yale to the next level at both Brown and O'Connor spoke of sustaining and enhancing Yale's profile in cancer care tracks with Winer's ambitions to make Yale an international destination for cancer treatment. "I think on some level, for the first time there's a true commitment to building an unparalleled cancer program," Winer said. "I felt if I came [to Yale] I would have total support to build and grow." Currently, Yale New Haven Health cares for about 45% of people diag- nosed with cancer in Connecticut, with top programs within Smilow drawing patients from across the nation. Lo- cated between cancer-care behemoths New York and Boston, Yale ranks as a regional leader among the 71 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the U.S. e cancer center's Smilow Hospital on Yale's medical campus is the state's largest single provider of cancer care, with 168 beds, 400 nurses on staff and 377,442 square feet of clinical space. Yale doesn't place in the top 50 on U.S. News & World Report's ranking of "Best Hospitals for Cancer" but does earn "high performing" status and high scores for colon cancer and lung cancer surgeries. Yale does score among the top na- tionally for its cancer research efforts, ranking No. 13 in National Institutes of Health funding and No. 14 for National Cancer Institute funding, with nearly $99 million in grants as of 2020. Smilow patients can tap into more than 300 open clinical trials and receive chemo at the hospital's high-tech Phase I Clinical Trials Infusion Unit. On the cancer research front, Yale discoveries include the protein PD-L1, a foundation for the development of immunotherapy, a trending form of cancer treatment that uses the body's own immune system against a disease. at strong research component plays a key role in Winer's plans for Yale Cancer Center. "e best cancer care has to include some attention to the ongoing research," Winer said. "e best care is delivered by people who also are pushing the envelope and doing clinical trials and looking into the future." Winer said he plans to strengthen the link between patient care and laboratory research at Yale, with a hope of increas- ing collaboration and sparking new discoveries. His first action toward that goal was hiring Dr. Ian E. Krop, who on March 2, will take the posts of chief clinical research officer, associate cancer center director for clinical research and direc- tor of the Yale Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office. Also a top breast cancer researcher from Dana-Farber, Krop has a national profile as an expert in optimizing oncol- Dr. Eric Winer Director Yale Cancer Center Education: B.A. in history and Russian/East European studies, Yale University. M.D., Yale School of Medicine. Age: 65 Dr. Eric Winer's plans for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital include strengthening the ties between scientists and clinicians. Yale's Smilow Cancer Hospital operates satellites in 14 locations across Connecticut, and one in Westerly, Rhode Island. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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