During its quarterly meeting on August 4, the Foundation’s Board of Directors elected Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D. to a three-year term. As Foundation Chairman Neal Kassell, M.D. commented, “We are honored to welcome Dr. von Eschenbach to our board. His long-standing commitment to serving the public good by accelerating the availability of innovative medical treatments is well matched to the mission and goals of this organization. We look forward to benefitting from his vast experience, transformative perspective and eminent leadership.”
Named by Time magazine in 2006 as one of the “100 most influential people to shape the world,” Dr. von Eschenbach’s credentials are peerless and his commitment to innovation unwavering.
He alone has served both as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and as Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health—two of the most powerful positions in U.S. healthcare. At both agencies, he was a change-agent who fostered innovative approaches to protecting and promoting public health. He embraced the use of the la scientific tools and emerging technologies.
At the FDA, he encouraged the development of a regulatory pathway that is transparent and efficient while still rigorous and science led. At the NCI, he sought to accelerate and integrate of the discovery-development-delivery continuum.
Clearly, Dr. von Eschenbach will have a profound impact on the work and success of the Foundation.