Lewis Silverman, MD to Join Columbia as Director of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation
Following an international search, the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Lewis Silverman, MD as director of the Hope and Heroes Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation. Dr. Silverman will serve as the Hettinger Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia, as well as associate director of pediatric cancers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center of Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In these roles he will lead clinical services in hematology, oncology and transplantation at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. Dr. Silverman will start in this new role on August 1.
Dr. Silverman is currently a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, vice chair for clinical affairs in pediatric oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and associate chief of pediatric oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital. For over 20 years he has been the overall principal investigator of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Consortium and is the chair or vice chair of multiple Children’s Oncology Group protocols.
Dr. Silverman has more than 200 publications in journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Cancer Cell, Science, Lancet, Nature Genetics, Blood, Lancet Oncology, and JAMA Oncology. He has made sustained contributions to the field of pediatric leukemia, has committed himself to ensuring continual progress for children with blood cancer through research, and is widely regarded as a leader in clinical innovation.
Dr. Silverman is a graduate of Harvard University (AB, Biology) and Harvard Medical School. He completed his pediatric residency at Boston Children’s Hospital and fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has served in many important leadership roles during his long tenure at Boston Children’s and Dana-Farber.
“It is a tremendous honor to have been selected for this position at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian," says Dr. Silverman. "I am extremely excited to join such a talented team committed to excellence, innovation, and expert patient care. I am confident that, working together, we will continue to advance the field and improve the outcomes for our patients and their families.”
“We are thrilled that Dr. Silverman will be joining us at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian,” says Pediatrics department chair Jordan Orange MD, PhD. “His tremendous experience in innovation and his profound leadership will greatly benefit New York’s children who are battling cancer, and will also benefit our outstanding teams, who work hard to bring the best possible outcomes.”
Anil Rustgi, MD, director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, adds, “Dr. Silverman is nationally and internationally renowned in pediatric leukemias, from basic science to translational medicine and clinical trials to clinical care. His many leadership positions are testimony to his gravitas, and he is acknowledged as a compassionate physician and a caring educator and mentor. We look forward to a deep and durable partnership in bringing pediatric hematology, oncology and transplantation to the forefront of all aspects of academic and clinical medicine.”
Current division director, Rob and Ellen Kapito Chair of Pediatrics Darrell Yamashiro, MD, PhD, has served the division, Columbia, and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital for decades, and has been chief for the last five years. Dr. Yamashiro will continue as division director until August 1, and will remain as faculty in the division, devoting additional time to his laboratory research.
The Hope and Heroes Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Columbia has a profound history dating back to many firsts and innovations in the field. It hosts an impactful research portfolio, outstanding training program and provides extraordinary, thoughtful care to children with some of the most difficult pediatric diseases.