Dr Jame Abraham appointed new chair of Haematology/Medical Oncology Department at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Dr Abraham will recruit, develop staff, guide department’s focus on patient access and multidisciplinary approach to care

Dr Jame Abraham has been appointed the new chair of the Haematology/Medical Oncology Department at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, US. As department chair, Dr Abraham succeeds Cleveland Clinic haematologist Matt Kalaycio.

Dr Abraham, who holds a medical degree from Calicut Medical College in Kerala, is well known in his country of birth and received an award from former Indian President Pratibha Patil in 2010 for his contribution to cancer care.

In his role as Chair of Department, Dr Abraham will recruit and develop staff, and guide the department’s focus on patient access and a multidisciplinary approach to care.

Dr Abraham currently serves as the director of the Breast Oncology Programme at Taussig Cancer Institute and Co-Director of the Cleveland Clinic Comprehensive Breast Cancer Programme. He is also a professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.

Dr Abraham is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Breast Cancer Committee, Vice Chair of the Research Strategy Committee of NRG Oncology, and a member of the Breast Cancer Working Committee for NRG Oncology. He is the vice chair of the Research Review Committee for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP).

As the national principal investigator of multiple breast cancer clinical trials, Dr Abraham has published and presented more than 200 papers. He is also the founding editor of the Bethesda Handbook of Oncology (Wolter Kluwer), one of the best-selling oncology textbooks in the world.

“Successfully leading our Haematology/Medical Oncology Department requires a leader who excels at empathy, fosters a culture of teamwork, demonstrates emotional intelligence and believes in the vision of our institute,” said Brian Bolwell, Chairman, Taussig Cancer Institute. “Dr Abraham represents these qualities and has exhibited a passion for department and caregiver development, and elevating our national reputation.”

“I look forward to building upon Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute’s position as a leader in haematology and medical oncology, delivering outstanding, compassionate patient care and innovative research,” said Dr Abraham. “I am honoured to serve patients who choose Cleveland Clinic for advanced cancer treatment and to support the department’s committed and passionate caregivers.”

After earning his medical degree from Calicut Medical College, he completed his residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, followed by a medical oncology fellowship from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and haematology fellowship from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.