Dr. Drabkin Appointed to Mary Manigault Gilbreth Chair in Clinical Oncology; Dr. Gemmill Appointed to Melvyn Berlinsky Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Research

Charleston, SC, (August 27, 2007) – Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina announces that renowned cancer researchers Harry A. Drabkin, M.D. and Robert M. Gemmill, Ph.D, have joined the faculty as Professors of Medicine. Dr. Drabkin has been named Chief of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology and will hold the Mary Manigault Gilbreth Chair in Clinical Oncology. Dr. Gemmill will hold the Melvin Berlinsky Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. Prior to joining HCC, Drs. Drabkin and Gemmill were Professors of Medicine and members of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and leaders in the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Doctors Drabkin and Gemmill are outstanding cancer researchers in the field, and Hollings Cancer Center is pleased to welcome them to our faculty and research team,” said Dr. Andrew Kraft, Director of Hollings Cancer Center. “The research they have been conducting independently and jointly for more than 20 years has helped us understand a great deal about the links between genes and cancers of the kidney and lung as well as leukemia. We believe this understanding could lead to new ways to treat and possibly prevent these deadly diseases.”

The bulk of the research conducted by Drs. Drabkin and Gemmill has focused on genes that are altered during the development of these diseases. Their findings have led to clinical trials testing drug combinations for improved cancer therapy.

On the clinical research side, Dr. Drabkin will bring a number of new trials for the treatment of kidney cancer. His goal is to establish a state and regional center of excellence for the treatment of metastatic kidney cancer.

The Mary Manigault Gilbreth Chair in Clinical Oncology was established in 1993 as part of the opening of the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. As one of the Hollings Cancer Center's most distinguished endowed chairs, the Mary Manigault Gilbreth Chair has allowed the recruitment of highly respected clinicians/researchers from across the nation to lead cancer efforts in South Carolina.

In 2007, Hollings Cancer Center established The Melvyn Berlinsky Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.  Since 1971, Melvyn Berlinsky has served on the MUSC Board of Trustees representing the First Congressional District. He was the Board’s vice chairman from 1990 to 1994. And since 1982, Mr. Berlinsky has served as chairman of the Education, Faculty, and Student Affairs Committee. In addition, he serves on boards of the MUSC Hospital Authority, Hollings Cancer Center, Low Country Graduate Center, and the South Carolina College of Pharmacy Joint Board of Trustees Oversight Committee. 

About Hollings Cancer Center
Hollings Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques and has multidisciplinary clinics that involve surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and many other specialists seeing patients simultaneously under one roof.  Multidisciplinary care is provided in disease specific clinics such as thoracic, breast, head & neck, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, hematologic, neurologic, and pediatric cancers. The Hollings Cancer Center is the largest academic-based cancer program in South Carolina.  The Hollings Cancer Center is currently a developing National Cancer Institute designated cancer center and has more than $35M in cancer research funding. More than 1,000 people are currently participating on a cancer clinical trial at HCC.  For more information, please visit www.hcc.musc.edu.

About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.