Dr. Andrew L. Kung Named Director of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at NewYork …

Research Program Will Focus on Developing the Next Generation of Pediatric Hematology and Cancer Treatments

Newswise NEW YORK (August 27, 2012) - Dr. Andrew L. Kung has joined the Department of Pediatrics at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center as director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation. In this role he will oversee clinical care and develop a research program aimed at harnessing the next generation of therapies for cancer and blood disorders in pediatric patients.

"I am pleased to welcome Dr. Kung, who is an exceptional clinician and renowned worldwide for his basic and translational oncology research," says Dr. Lawrence Stanberry, pediatricianin-chief at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and the Rueben S. Carpentier Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "Dr. Kung's ambitious plan to launch a comprehensive program designed to tailor treatments to individual patients and speed the development of new pediatric therapies will further establish New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center as a preeminent leader in cancer research. The entire cancer research community at the medical center is thrilled to welcome Dr. Kung to our ranks," says Dr. Stephen G. Emerson, director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

Dr. Kung received his M.D. and Ph.D. at Stanford University School of Medicine and completed a residency at Boston Children's Hospital. He served as a fellow in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he also worked with Dr. David Livingston, a prominent cancer biologist, as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Kung has been on the faculty at Harvard Medical School since 1999, and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute since 2011.

He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the National Cancer Institute's Howard Temin Award (20012006) and the Sidney Kimmel Translational Science Award (20062008). He was also a fellow of the St. Baldrick's Foundation (2008). In addition, he is an elected member of the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Informed by a multidisciplinary approach, Dr. Kung's translational oncology research integrates molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, cell biology, preclinical models, drug development and molecular imaging. "In our quest to identify and target abnormalities that contribute to cancer formation, it is critical to use all available tools and to think creatively about how to solve the complex questions," says Dr. Kung. "I look forward to building on the division's legacy of excellence and creating a program that provides exceptional care for patients today, while developing more effective treatments for future patients."

NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, located in New York City, offers the best available care in every area of pediatrics - including the most complex neonatal and critical care, and all areas of pediatric subspecialties - in a family-friendly and technologically advanced setting. Building a reputation for more than a century as one of the nation's premier children's hospitals, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and is Manhattan's only hospital dedicated solely to the care of children and one of the largest providers of children's health services in the tri-state area with a long-standing commitment to its community. It is also a major international referral center, meeting the special needs of children from infancy through adolescence worldwide. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. For more information, visit http://www.nyp.org.

Columbia University Medical Center Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree. Among the most selective medical schools in the country, the school is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York State and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.cumc.columbia.edu. # # #

Office of Public Affairs NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center 627 West 165th Street New York, NY 10032 tel: 212.305.5587 fax: 212.305.8023 email: pr@nyp.org

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Dr. Andrew L. Kung Named Director of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at NewYork ...