Alice T. Shaw, MD, PhD, was named Chair of the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in an announcement today. Her appointment is effective September 1, 2025. Shaw will remain Chief of Strategic Partnerships and a member of the Executive Leadership Team, and will continue to co-lead Dana-Farber's Center for RAS Therapeutics.
As Chair of the Department of Medical Oncology, Shaw will oversee more than 300 faculty and more than 80 cancer research laboratories, and will drive the strategic direction for the department's clinical, research and educational initiatives.
"Dana-Farber's Medical Oncology department provides world-class care and support for our patients, while leading critical research that is advancing cancer treatment in Boston and around the world," said Dr. Benjamin L. Ebert, president and CEO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "I am thrilled that Alice will lead the department during this pivotal time for Dana-Farber. She brings exceptional leadership and a visionary approach to accelerating cancer care for our patients and their families."
Shaw joined Dana-Farber in 2024 as Chief of Strategic Partnerships, where she directs collaborative efforts between the research enterprise and industry partners to accelerate the translation of scientific breakthroughs to new and innovative therapies for patients with cancer.
Prior to joining Dana-Farber, Shaw served as Vice President and Global Head of Translational Clinical Oncology at Novartis. Previously, she was the Director of the Center for Thoracic Cancers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Paula O'Keeffe Endowed Chair of Thoracic Oncology, Co-Leader of the Dana-Farber/MGH/Harvard Cancer Center Lung Cancer Program, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
A world-renowned clinical and translational researcher, Shaw's areas of expertise include oncogene-driven lung cancers such as anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and ROS1-positive lung cancer. She has led basic and translational research to identify determinants of response to targeted therapies, discover mechanisms of resistance, and develop next generation targeted agents.
Shaw earned an AB in Biochemistry from Harvard College, along with an MD and PhD in Genetics from Harvard Medical School. She completed her residency at MGH and fellowships at Dana-Farber and the MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.
