Endowed chairs represent one of the most prestigious honors in academic medicine. This past year saw the appointment of several new chairholders at Fox Chase Cancer Center—among them, David Y.T. Chen, MD, FACS, Professor in the Department of Urology, as the Carol and Louis Della Penna Chair in Urologic Oncology.
Friends, family, and colleagues gathered in the Leidy Auditorium on October 22, 2025, for an investiture ceremony in honor of Chen, who has built an impressive career at Fox Chase over more than 20 years.
“David is incredibly special,” noted Alexander Kutikov, MD, FACS, Chair, Department of Urology at Fox Chase and Co-Executive Director, Fox Chase–Temple Urologic Institute, as he led the afternoon ceremony. “One of the most gifted surgeons I’ve ever worked with, he has made major contributions to our field. He is an inspiring mentor and friend, whose personal outlook on life makes as much of an impression as his technical skill.”
This approach is perhaps most notable in Chen’s interactions with his patients.
“There is no patient who walks into our office who doesn’t love David,” Kutikov said. “It’s like magic – the anxiety that washes away when he speaks to patients and explains what will happen.”
Chen joined Fox Chase in 2004, recruited with the prompting of Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS, now President and CEO of the Center. The two had trained together at Cornell and were the earliest dedicated urologists to practice at Fox Chase.
“David is an outstanding diagnostician and a technically skilled surgeon, who has an incredible way of approaching everything with a certain ease,” Uzzo shared at the investiture.
A Force for Growth With a Sense of Kindness
Through Chen’s contributions, the Department of Urology has grown significantly over time with the recruitment of top talent and the launch of the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) fellowship at Fox Chase in 2007, established as the first urologic oncology fellowship in Philadelphia and now regarded as one of the premier fellowship training programs for urology in the country.
As fellowship director for nearly 15 years, Chen created a supportive environment where trainees can thrive.
“Dr. Chen is gracious in how he interacts with fellows,” noted Benjamin Ristau, MD, MHA, a former Fox Chase fellow who now serves as Assistant Professor of Urology at UConn Health. Ristau noted themes of gratitude, culture, kindness, and growth as he spoke about his Fox Chase experience. “I was able to pursue my master’s degree in health administration at Temple with the support of Dr. Chen and this fellowship program.”
Ristau continued, “With his signature ‘It’s fine,’ David has a reassuring, kind manner. He also maintains a focus on growth with a mindset that doesn’t see anything as fixed, but rather open to change.”
Chen came to Fox Chase upon completing his own training at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, N.Y., where he was the Wallace Fellow in Urologic Oncology in the Department of Urology. He completed a residency in urology there as well as in general surgery at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. He also had the distinction of being an HHMI-NIH Research Scholar at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Urologic Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., earlier in his training. He earned his medical degree from Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Chen currently serves as Professor in Fox Chase’s Department of Urology, specializing in treating patients with urologic malignancies, including bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers, as well as less common testicular, penile, and adrenal cancers. In caring for patients, he balances complex treatment with delicate quality-of-life concerns, partnering with his patients to guide them to the best possible clinical outcomes.
Such partnership is also evident with colleagues.
Elevating Colleagues Through Genuine Collaboration
“As a radiation oncologist, speaking here [at this investiture] says a lot about who we are and the collaboration that lives here at Fox Chase,” noted Eric Horwitz, MD, FABS, FASTRO, Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology. “We’re not competing specialists; we work together. It’s to our patients’ advantage and our advantage as clinicians and researchers that we all want the best for one another as a team.
“There are many things that I’ve learned from David that I’ve taught to my residents and this has trickled down amongst radiation oncologists across the country. He makes us be better doctors,” Horwitz added.
Well-respected in the field, Chen has been named a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly, representing the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians, as well as a Top Doctor by Philadelphia magazine, for many years. He is also noted as a Top Doctor by Main Line Today.
His commitment to clinical research and patient care continues to advance the field.
“An endowed chair investiture is more than a ceremony,” Uzzo noted. “It is a promise that the chairholder will steward this funding, make a difference in the lives of others, and fulfill the philanthropic vision of its donors.”
Philanthropy Meets Purpose
For the Della Penna’s, their desire to advance urologic cancer care comes from personal experience with cancer and their years of service (Louis Della Penna serves as Vice Chair of Fox Chase’s Foundation Board of Directors). They established the Carol and Louis Della Penna Chair in Urologic Oncology in 2012 to fund future advancements in research, education, and patient care.
“It is both humbling and a privilege to take on the mantle of the Della Penna Chair and to pursue more breakthroughs,” Chen said as he accepted the honor, expressing gratitude for his mother and father as well as his wife, Kathy, for the support they have provided throughout his life.
In sharing some of the wisdom that has contributed to his success, he said “Surround yourself with great people. Be open to change and the unknown. Be true, honest, kind, and patient.”
These words are reflected in the relationships Chen has built over his career in the place that he chooses as his professional home. “It is a true pleasure to come to work and to be here at Fox Chase,” he said.