Northwestern University has appointed Dr. Leonidas Platanias as director of its Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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He had served as interim director since January and will oversee clinical operations and basic research programs.
Platanias said in an interview that he wants to establish Chicago as a global leader in personalized cancer treatment. He said the center is planning to introduce new clinical trials that involve using individual tumor’s genetic information to guide tailored cancer treatments.
“Research is rapidly evolving,” Platanias said. “We can have new tools that change the way we treat cancer patients… We have plans to bridge basic science and clinical care.”
Platanias was previously the chief of hematology and oncology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has a medical degree from the University of Patras Medical School in Greece.
His research in molecular biology and biochemistry research focused on finding treatments for cancer. He’s known for his work with specific proteins found in blood that have the ability to fight cancer.
The Lurie cancer center was founded in 1974 and treats more than 10,000 new cancer patients each year.
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