PHILADELPHIA (June 28, 2011)—J. Robert Beck, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Academic Officer, and Chief Medical Officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been appointed the inaugural holder of the H.O. West and J.R. Wike Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. Fox Chase's 16 endowed chairs, each supported by generous philanthropists, allow the institution to reward outstanding clinicians and researchers and ensure funding for promising lines of research.
"I am quite honored and pleasantly surprised to receive the inaugural H.O. West and J.R. Wike Chair in Cancer Research," says Beck. "I have concentrated my efforts in academic medical administration for the past 22 years, although I have been fortunate to maintain some active health services research over that period. I thank the leadership and staff of West Pharmaceutical and in particular, Fox Chase board member Don Morel, PhD, for their generous endowment gift."
The H.O. West and J.R. Wike Chair in Cancer Research recognizes and supports an outstanding leader in cancer science and medicine who represents the highest standards of excellence. The chair, which is named for University of Pennsylvania classmates Herman O. West and Jesse R. Wike, who founded West Pharmaceuticals in the 1920s, is funded by Lauren and Donald E. Morel, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., the H.O. West Foundation, the Wike Family Trust and Barbara M. and Robert C. Young.
"Over his tenure at Fox Chase, Dr. Beck has proven to be an indispensable and highly diverse member of our team," says Michael V. Seiden, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Fox Chase. "Through his many roles, he lends expert oversight to nearly every area of the Center, from research to administration to the clinic. As such, he is an extremely fitting choice for the inaugural appointment to this chair, which recognizes exceptional leadership."
In addition to his many administrative duties at Fox Chase, Beck maintains varied research interests including technology assessment, cost-effectiveness of cancer therapies, training professionals to address cancer health disparities, and the organization of biomedical informatics services and general academic resources. Prior to joining Fox Chase in 2001, Beck received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, earned his MD at Johns Hopkins University, and served his residency in pathology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.