The Wistar Institute has appointed University of Pennsylvania ovarian cancer researcher Ronny Drapkin to succeed Dario Altieri as CEO of the biomedical research organization in University City.
Altieri had announced in January that he would step down this year, after 11 years leading Wistar. Drapkin starts Nov. 30 at the nonprofit institution known for early-stage cancer, immunology, infectious disease, and vaccine research.
“Ronny has everything we are looking for in our next president and CEO,” Wistar board chair Rick Horowitz said in a news release. “His outstanding contributions to cancer research and extensive experience in translational medicine, along with an impressive track record of organizational leadership, make him ideal for the role.”
Drapkin will arrive at Wistar after about a decade at Penn, where he directs the Ovarian Cancer Research Center, among other roles at the Basser Center for BRCA and the Abramson Cancer Center. According to the Wistar announcement, his lab is known for its part in establishing that high-grade ovarian carcinomas originate in the fallopian tubes.
Drapkin’s lab will move to Wistar, a spokesperson for the independent institute said. Researchers at Penn and Wistar, which is surrounded by Penn’s campus, have long collaborated on research.
“I am honored to assume this leadership role at an institution I have so long admired and help it further expand its contributions to life-saving medical science,” Drapkin said. “Wistar’s scientific engine has never been a more powerful driver of biomedical innovation and regional economic growth than it is right now.”
Last year, Wistar invested $24 million to open its HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center with new lab space on Market Street, its first venture outside its headquarters on Spruce Street. Wistar also announced a $30 million anonymous gift to open the Wistar Center for Advanced Therapeutics.
This year, Wistar has hired six lead scientists, or principal investigators, bringing its total to 43, the organization said. Its total revenue last year was $72 million, according to its audited financial statement.