Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Names New Director

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Robert B. Diasio, M.D., has been appointed Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Director, succeeding Franklyn Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Diasio, who will be based at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, will also direct cancer center activities at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

"Dr. Diasio is an excellent successor to Dr. Prendergast, who led the Cancer Center through 11 years of exceptional growth and progress," said Denis Cortese, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "The years of research and clinical experience that Dr. Diasio brings to Mayo will be an asset to our Cancer Center. His stellar leadership capabilities will ensure that we continue to build on our position as a premier cancer center and provider of cancer care."

Dr. Diasio comes to Mayo Clinic from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, where he was associate director of the comprehensive cancer center, chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and director of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology. Nationally known as an expert in cancer pharmagenomics, Dr. Diasio plans to continue research focusing on maximizing the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cancer patients using new genetic diagnostic methods.

"I look forward to joining the outstanding team at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center," said Dr. Diasio. "It is a great honor and an incredible opportunity to lead one of the top National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers. I'm pleased to be joining an organization with a strong track record in discovery and in translating research findings into new treatments for patients."

Dr. Prendergast will remain at Mayo Clinic, continuing with his ongoing research and other responsibilities.

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is one of 39 centers in the nation to receive the National Cancer Institute's comprehensive cancer center designation. This designation spans Mayo's three sites.

For more information regarding cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic, visit www.mayoclinic.org/cancer-treatment. Cancer research information can be found at http://cancercenter.mayo.edu.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,700 physicians, scientists and researchers and 50,100 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn; Jacksonville, Fla; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. and community based providers in more than 70 locations in Southern Minn., Western Wis. and Northeast Iowa. These locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education, visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.