Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., the twelfth Director of the National Cancer Institute in its 64 year history, is a nationally recognized urologic surgeon who formerly directed the Genitourinary Cancer Center and the Prostate Cancer Research Program at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He also served as special assistant for external affairs to M. D. Anderson's president and held the Roy M. and Phyllis Gough Huffington Clinical Research Distinguished Chair in Urologic Oncology.

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. von Eschenbach received his medical degree from Georgetown University Medical School in 1967. He completed residencies in general surgery and urology at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, then was an instructor in urology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps.

Dr. von Eschenbach went to M. D. Anderson for a fellowship in urologic oncology in 1976 and was invited to join the faculty the following year. From 1983 to 1996, he was chairman of the Department of Urology and, since 1985, has been a consulting professor in the Department of Cancer Biology.

In 1996, Dr. von Eschenbach was named the founding director of M. D. Anderson's Prostate Cancer Research Program, which has 60 scientists and clinicians collaborating on integrated translational research in the biology, treatment, epidemiology and prevention of the disease. From 1997 to 1999, he also served as vice president for academic affairs and then as executive vice president and chief academic officer, leading a faculty of almost 1,000 cancer researchers and clinicians.

He was a founding member of the National Dialogue on Cancer and prior to his accepting the position as NCI Director, he was President-elect of the American Cancer Society. Dr. von Eschenbach has contributed more than 200 articles, chapters, and books to the scientific literature.

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