The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that Harvey Risch, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed chairman of the President’s Cancer Panel. The panel operates within the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute and is responsible for overseeing the activities of the National Cancer Program, reporting to the president on its progress and suggesting improvements.
Dr. Risch is Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Scientist in Epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine. In his new role, Dr. Risch aims to advance innovations in cancer prevention and increase public awareness about factors such as reproductive, dietary, occupational, environmental, and immune system-related influences on cancer.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., commented on the appointment: “Dr. Risch brings the expertise and resolve needed to identify the root causes of cancer in America. He will push this work forward, confront the factors driving cancer rates, and provide the public with science they can trust. This appointment strengthens our national fight against cancer and reflects our duty to protect Americans’ health with transparency, independence, and rigorous inquiry.”
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said: “The field of cancer prevention is only 75 years old. Great developments in our understanding of this subject should not shock us — they should be expected. Dr. Risch is a distinguished pioneer in the study of cancer epidemiology with the background to help bring the revelations to the field we’re seeking.”
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) added: “Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Dr. Risch has the experience and leadership to guide the President’s Cancer Panel toward discoveries that can hopefully reduce those numbers. Dr. Risch brings knowledge and courage to confront the cancer epidemic with an open mind and help make America healthy again.”
Upon his appointment, Dr. Risch stated: “I am thankful for the opportunity President Trump has given me to transform cancer prevention in the United States. This Panel has access to the best minds, cutting edge science, and vast resources required to radically advance Americans’ understanding of cancer development, diagnosis, and prevention. We are sitting on the treasure trove of knowledge necessary to demystify the causes of cancer, and we can use that knowledge to help Americans live fuller, freer lives. Cancer does not have to loom over the American people as an unknowable specter.”
Dr. Risch's career focuses on researching how cancers develop as well as their prevention methods, early detection strategies, and epidemiological techniques across various types including ovarian, pancreas, lung, bladder, esophageal and stomach cancers.
He earned his medical degree from University of California at San Diego before completing a Ph.D in mathematical modeling at University of Chicago; he later held teaching positions at University of Toronto after a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Washington.
Throughout his career he has published over 400 peer-reviewed research papers which have been cited more than 59,000 times by other scientific works; he also serves as Editor for International Journal of Cancer among other editorial roles.
