Biology Seminar - Marcel van den Brink

Marcel van den Brink, M.D., Ph.D., president of City of Hope Cancer Center, main campus in Los Angeles, and National Medical Center, chief physician executive and the Deana and Steve Campbell Chief Physician Executive Distinguished Chair, is a globally recognized leader in the basic and translational science of bone marrow transplantation (BMT), the microbiome and cancer immunotherapy.

His specialties include immune reconstitution and graft-versus-host disease — side effects many BMT patients experience — as well as the impact of the microbiome on immunotherapy for cancer. A researcher who has opened new fields of investigation and improved patient outcomes, Dr. Van den Brink has pursued innovative ways to improve and optimize BMT, developing strategies to make the process less toxic and lower the rate of recurrence. Throughout his career, he has maintained an intense focus on converting scientific discoveries in his laboratory into better therapies for patients around the world.

Dr. Van den Brink joined City of Hope in part because of their shared commitment to advancing the frontiers of cancer care and research. He is known for his inclusive approach to leadership and his devotion to providing junior faculty colleagues with mentorship and career development opportunities.

A recipient of numerous national and international awards, Dr. Van den Brink is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Among many leadership roles, he serves as vice chair of the board for Deutsche Knochenmark Stiftung, a global donor registration that facilitates 40% of all unrelated allogenic blood stem cell donations worldwide.

Before he joined City of Hope, Dr. Van den Brink served in leadership positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for 24 years, most recently as the Alan N. Houghton Chair in Immunology and the head of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies.