Dana-Farber CEO Laurie Glimcher to step down

Dana Farber Cancer Institute President and CEO Laurie Glimcher will step down on Oct. 1 and medical oncologist and researcher Benjamin Ebert will serve as the next president and CEO.

Glimcher, a researcher and the first woman to lead the 77-year-old institute, will assume the title of president emerita and plans to focus on mentoring, special projects and cancer immunology research at Dana-Farber. She began her tenure in 2016 and the institute touted its role over the past five years in the development of half of all cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Eight years ago, I began this journey with a deep appreciation for the extraordinary research that emanated from Dana-Farber since its earliest days and the clinical excellence that Dana-Farber provides patients and families,” Glimcher said in a statement Tuesday. "And now, as I reflect on my tenure, I am intensely proud of what we have achieved in providing world class care for our patients, leading in innovation, and discovering new treatments and cures.”

The institute added three regional locations during Glimcher's tenure, experienced a 51% growth in patient volume, and saw a 62% increase in grant and industry-funded research support. It is also advancing plans to build a new 300-bed inpatient hospital dedicated to adult patients with cancer and a new collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The institute's board announced that Ebert, chair of the Department of Medical Oncology, will become president and CEO next month. He currently oversees more than 300 faculty members and more than 80 cancer research labs, the institute said.

“As we plan for the future of cancer care and discovery, we are confident that he will take on the new challenge as he has all others — with integrity, thoughtfulness, diligence, and compassion,” said board chair Josh Bekenstein. “His leadership and experience will be extremely beneficial as we plan for the proposed new cancer hospital and clinical collaboration.”