With broad backgrounds in oncology genetics, immunology, and disparities, President Joe Biden’s three July 2022 appointments to the Cancer Cabinet will help guide the United States on opportunities to reduce cancer’s barriers and burden for underserved populations.

The new members are:

  • Mitchel Berger, MD: Berger is a neurologic surgeon with an extensive history of researching brain tumor biology, specifically the biomarkers that determine growth and treatment patterns. For two decades, Berger was the Principal Investigator for the Brain Specialized Program of Research Excellence. He also previously served on the 2016 Cancer Moonshot.
  • Carol Brown, MD: Brown is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist who serves as the senior vice president and chief health equity officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the incumbent Nicholls-Biondi Chair for Health Equity. Throughout her career, Brown focused on addressing providing high-quality surgical care, eliminating cancer health disparities, and promoting public policy. She previously served as the president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and was the former co-chair of the NRG Oncology Health Disparities Committee.
  • Elizabeth Jaffee, MD: Serving as the cabinet chair, Jaffee is an expert in cancer immunology and pancreatic cancer. She is deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, co-director of the Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Center, and associate director of the Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Jaffee also served as the former president of the American Association for Cancer Research and former co-chair of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative under President Barack Obama.

Part of the Cancer Moonshot, the Cancer Cabinet is tasked to tackle the following priorities:

  • Closing the screening gap
  • Understanding and addressing environmental exposure
  • Decreasing the incidence of preventable cancers
  • Bringing cutting-edge research through the pipeline to patients and communities
  • Supporting patients and caregivers

As a leading organizational supporter, ONS engages with the Biden-Harris administration on the Cancer Moonshot initiative, ensuring oncology nurses have a seat at the table.