Stephenson Cancer Center Director Robert S. Mannel, M.D. has been elected to serve as one of three Co-Chairs for NRG Oncology, one of four national non-profit organizations that make up the adult National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCTN, the world’s premier network for developing and conducting clinical trials to advance new cancer therapies, is composed of over 2,000 institutions nationwide. NRG Oncology is the largest group within the Network, placing more cancer patients on NCI clinical trials than any other organization.
“It is a tremendous honor to serve as Chair of NRG Oncology,” Mannel said. “I look forward to working with colleagues at institutions across the country and internationally to help improve the lives of cancer patients through conducting practice-changing, multi-institutional clinical and translational research.”
Mannel is the Rainbolt Family Endowed Chair in Cancer and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the OU College of Medicine. He holds the position of Associate Vice Provost for Cancer Programs at the OU Health Sciences Center.
Since 2006, Mannel has served as Director of the Stephenson Cancer Center. Under his leadership the Cancer Center has developed into an organization recognized nationally for its outstanding clinical and research programs. During his tenure, the Cancer Center has recruited more than 70 oncology physicians and cancer researchers to Oklahoma, and out-of-state cancer research grant funding has more than tripled during this time. In 2014, the Cancer Center was designated a Lead Participating Site in the NCTN, and it is among the top two cancer centers in the nation for the number of patients participating in NCI-funded clinical trials for new cancer treatments.
“Dr. Mannel’s election to this prestigious leadership position underscores the commitment that both he and the Stephenson Cancer Center have to improving cancer patient outcomes through conducting high-quality clinical trials research,” stated Jason Sanders, M.D., M.B.A., Senior Vice President and Provost, OU Health Sciences Center.
