Nancy Davidson to Head Clinical Oncology at Fred Hutch/University of Washington

Nancy E. Davidson, MD

Nancy E. Davidson, MD

Nationally recognized oncologist Nancy E. Davidson, MD, has accepted the position of Executive Director of Clinical Oncology at the Fred Hutch/University of Washington (UW) Cancer Consortium in Seattle, Washington. Davidson was previously Director of the the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI).

In her new role, Davidson will serve as a bridge builder across the cancer treatment, clinical, translational, basic sciences, and public health research programs within the Fred Hutch/UW Cancer Consortium, according to a news release from Fred Hutch. Consortium members include the Fred Hutch UW School of Medicine, UW School of Public Health, Seattle Children’s and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), and the cancer treatment arm of Fred Hutch UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s. Her appointment will be effective December 1.

Davidson, who specializes in the field of breast cancer, has a personal connection that drives her to fight for a world without cancer. In 2011, her sister, Leslie Davidson, died at age 53 just two weeks after being diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

“My hope and goal in life is that no one should have to suffer from such a catastrophic illness,” Davidson said.

Prior to joining the UPCI in 2009, Davidson served as breast cancer research professor of oncology and founding director of the Breast Cancer Program at Johns Hopkins. She is also a past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Currently, Davidson serves as president of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

"Dr. Davidson brings a wealth of experience and insight not only as an internationally recognized expert in breast cancer, but also through her highly successful leadership roles as the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, past president of ASCO and current president of the AACR,” said Gary Gilliland, MD, president and director of Fred Hutch, in a statement from Fred Hutch. “She is ideally suited to further enrich the already outstanding interactions between the SCCA, UW Medicine and Fred Hutch. I am eagerly looking forward to working with her.”

Davidson will serve in a variety of leadership roles at Hutch/UW Consortium Institutions.

At Fred Hutch, she will be senior vice president, member and director of the Clinical Research Division; at UW School of Medicine, she will be professor and head of the Division of Medical Oncology; at SCCA, Davidson will serve as president and executive director and be responsible for directing and managing the organization’s affairs, including planning, organizing and coordinating cancer care, clinical research and education. She will also care for patients as part of the breast cancer team at SCCA.

Davidson will replace Fred Appelbaum, MD, who was director of the Fred Hutch Clinical Research Division for 20 years, head of the UW Division of Medical Oncology, and president and executive director of SCCA. Appelbaum will remain executive vice president and director of Fred Hutch.

Davidson said she is “excited about the opportunity to work with [consortium members] toward a world without cancer.”

Davidson has a reputation as a top opinion leader in the field of breast cancer biology and treatment and has authored editorials, commentaries, and reviews to provide perspective for key research papers as well as critical areas in breast cancer biology and treatment, according to the release. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and her undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Wellesley College.

Davidson's many awards, honors, and appointments include: serving as president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (2007-2008), receiving the seventh Rosalind E. Franklin Award for Women in Science from the National Cancer Institute (2010), election to the National Academy of Medicine (2011) and Association of American Physicians (2010) and being listed among Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers (2014-2015.)