Cancer in the News
Statewide Clinical Trials Network of Texas (CTNeT) Names Its Scientific and Executive Leadership
Accomplished leaders to provide strong foundation for newly-formed oncology network
The Statewide Clinical Trials Network of Texas (CTNeT), a newly-formed collaborative oncology research model combining academic and community-based physicians, announced today that it has filled its four key scientific and executive leadership positions. Assuming the role of chairman of the board is William T. Butler, M.D.; Charles E. Geyer, Jr., M.D. has accepted the position of chief medical officer; David H. Johnson, M.D. will chair the Strategic Steering Committee and Patricia A. Winger was named chief operating officer.
Commenting on the appointments, Alfred (Al) G. Gilman, M.D., Ph.D. and chief scientific officer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) said, “CTNeT is one of the most important initiatives CPRIT will fund and Dr. Butler is a superb choice for its leader. This is an outstanding team with a shared vision that will get the job done for Texas and be a game-changer for clinical trials research.”
CTNeT Chairman of the Board
Dr. William T. Butler, a distinguished immunologist, joined Baylor College of Medicine in 1966 and during the following decades served the college in a variety of roles, including president and chief operating officer for almost 17 years. During that time he led the college in a period of unprecedented growth and national and international recognition. He assumed the post of chancellor in 1996 and chancellor emeritus in 2004, returning in December 2008 as interim president and chief executive officer until September 2010.
In accepting the position, Dr. Butler said, “The creation of a statewide effort to unify clinical trials in cancer is going to make a tremendous difference in our understanding of cancer prevention and treatment. This type of collaboration in Texas will serve as a national model of ways to approach clinical research that can ultimately be used for any disease. It is an honor to chair this board.”
After completing his MD at Western Reserve University, his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Butler began his career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he served as chief clinical associate in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. While at Baylor, he continued the research originated at the NIH and established the college’s immunology program. Dr. Butler has authored more than 100 publications.
CTNeT Chief Medical Officer
After conducting a national search, the CTNeT board has selected Dr. Charles E. Geyer, Jr., FACP to serve as its chief medical officer. In this role, he will facilitate the regulatory, quality, safety and data monitoring of clinical studies and collaboratively work with the Strategic Steering Committee to implement the most progressive scientific initiatives.
Dr. Geyer is an accomplished oncologist, clinical investigator, and professor with an emphasis in the study and treatment of breast cancer, most recently serving as director of Medical Affairs for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP); director of the Allegheny Cancer Center and vice chairman of the Department of Human Oncology at Allegheny General Hospital. Prior to accepting an appointment at the University of Texas Southwestern, he held an associate professor of medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine.
A Texas native, he is a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Medicine and completed his medical residency, chief medical residency and medical oncology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine affiliated hospitals in Houston. Over half of his career has been spent at Texas cancer centers, including seven years at Joe Arrington Cancer Research and Treatment Center in Lubbock, where he held several key positions including medical director, director of phase I program, and director of clinical research.
CTNeT Strategic Steering Committee Chair
Internationally acclaimed oncologist Dr. David H. Johnson, chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center, received the board’s unanimous support on being named chair of CTNeT’s Strategic Steering Committee. The committee serves as the principal source of input regarding the solicitation, review and selection of clinical trials done in the network and is populated with experts in the fields of oncology, cancer biology, biostatistics, informatics, pathology, patient advocacy, etc.
Dr. Johnson is the Donald W. Seldin Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine at UTSW and past president of the American Association of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) where he was instrumental in establishing the Cancer Survivorship Program. He served on the Food & Drug Administration’s Oncology Drug Advisory Committee and currently holds active leadership roles with the National Cancer Institute, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Dr. Johnson earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and obtained his medical oncology training at Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the University Medical School faculty from 1983 until 2010. Additionally, he held the Cornelius A. Craig Chair of Medical and Surgical Oncology, served as the director of Hematology and Medical Oncology and deputy director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
CTNeT Chief Operating Officer
Patricia A. Winger, who brings 15 years of executive experience developing and managing oncology clinical research networks, has been named chief operating officer. Ms. Winger has been instrumental in the development of CTNeT as a 501(c)(3) since its inception in July 2010 and provides senior oversight to its central operations.
Her path to executive leadership, which placed emphasis on initiating innovative operations strategies, included positions with US Oncology Research serving as its Vice President of Research Operations and most recently, the Sarah Cannon Research Institute as its Vice President of Business Integration. She began her career in project management after graduating from Bay State College and quickly integrated her skill set to the medical research field where she has been called “instrumental” in building oncology network programs.
About CTNeT
The Statewide Clinical Trials Network of Texas (CTNeT) is a 501(c)(3) oncology research network model established in 2010 with a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The network model is a “first of its kind” and fuses innovative science with streamlined, core operational processes. Under the CTNeT organization, academic and community-based cancer centers throughout Texas collaborate, offering patients access to the most cutting-edge oncology studies. To learn more about the network’s streamlined approach, CLIA-certified cancer genetics laboratory and the CTNeT biorepository, please visit www.ctnet.org.
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Contact:
Kim Stryker
Marketing Manager
Statewide Clinical Trials Network of Texas (CTNeT)
Office: 713-526-8638
Mobile: 281-796-0887
kim.stryker@ctnet.org
