Honoring the legacy of MD Anderson's John Mendelsohn, M.D.

John Mendelsohn, M.D., president emeritus of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and an internationally acclaimed leader in the field of medicine and scientist whose research helped pioneer a new type of cancer therapy, died Jan. 7 at his home in Houston. He was 82.

Mendelsohn was the third president of MD Anderson, serving in that capacity from 1996 to 2011. During that time, he inspired significant achievements in research and patient care and directed substantial growth in staff, programs, facilities and philanthropy. During all five of his last five years as president, MD Anderson was named the top cancer hospital in the “Best Hospitals” survey published annually by U.S. News & World Report. He retired from MD Anderson on Aug. 31, 2018.

“MD Anderson had the great fortune of being led by John Mendelsohn for 15 years, and the strides made under his direction were nothing short of remarkable,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “In addition to impressive achievements, both as a scientist and as a leader, John was a role model and inspiration to so many. He has left an indelible mark on this world, and he will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.”

After Mendelsohn joined MD Anderson, he quickly earned a reputation for tireless efforts to strengthen the institution’s research-driven patient care and prevention services, and for building a strong research program that emphasized the translation of scientific findings to improve patient care and enable more effective prevention strategies. He promoted research partnerships and formed teaching affiliations with institutions in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America.

Major accomplishments of the Mendelsohn era included MD Anderson consistently receiving more research grants from the National Cancer Institute and conducting more therapeutic clinical trials to evaluate new treatments than any other institution. Also during his tenure, MD Anderson became a degree-granting institution that confers degrees in biomedical sciences and allied health disciplines.

During Mendelsohn’s tenure, MD Anderson quadrupled in budget and tripled in space. The number of employees and patients served doubled and private philanthropy increased almost tenfold, with more than $2 billion raised during his tenure as president.

Under his leadership, MD Anderson opened the Lowry and Peggy Mays Clinic; the 320-bed addition atop the Alkek Hospital; the T. Boone Pickens Academic Tower; the Proton Therapy Center; and the 126-room expansion of the Rotary House International Hotel. He also oversaw the creation of the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment in the Dan L. Duncan Building. In recognition of his many contributions, the John Mendelsohn Faculty Center was dedicated on Feb. 8, 2012.

One of his major achievements was planning The University of Texas Research Park south of MD Anderson’s main campus and launching the Red and Charline McCombs Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer there. Each center was built so that basic and clinical researchers from multiple departments and different disciplines could collaborate more effectively.

After completing his tenure as MD Anderson’s president in August 2011, Mendelsohn took a six-month sabbatical to refresh his scientific skills with prominent researchers at Harvard, MIT and other academic centers in the Boston area. He returned to MD Anderson in March 2012 to lead the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayad Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy (IPCT) and advance personalized medicine. He also joined Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy as the first L. E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health and Technology Policy.

[deborahcox]

Ok you are actually using the opening bars to "This is the moment." I am still working on my grievance. I agree, some things are psychological, and most things are. It still occurs that people can pursue a grievance and win, regardless of lameness.