June 26, 2017—(BRONX, NY)—Leading pediatric oncologist and NIH-funded researcher David M. Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., has been named chief of the division of pediatric hematology, oncology, marrow and blood cell transplantation at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM). A noted sarcoma researcher and clinician and bone marrow transplantation specialist, Dr. Loeb will join the faculty on September 1, 2017.

David Loeb, M.D., Ph.D. “Dr. Loeb’s impressive strengths as a researcher, clinician, educator and mentor make him the ideal leader for our pediatric cancer efforts,” says Judy Aschner, M.D., physician-in-chief at CHAM and professor and Michael I. Cohen, M.D., University Chair of Pediatrics at Einstein. “With his proven track record of developing and advancing novel therapeutics, we look forward to a golden era of collaboration and scientific discovery with Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care and the NCI-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center that will lead to improved outcomes for pediatric cancer patients. We could not be more pleased he will be joining us.”

Dr. Loeb is coming to Einstein and Montefiore from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he is an associate professor of oncology and pediatrics. He also serves as director of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Program and co-director of the Sarcoma Program at John Hopkins University’s Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“A true physician-scientist, Dr. Loeb’s research spans the spectrum—from basic and translational studies to clinical trials,” says Allen M. Spiegel M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein. “Along with his reputation as a talented and inspiring teacher, he will be a tremendous addition to our research community and an outstanding exemplar for our medical and graduate students.”

“Dr. Loeb’s impressive strengths as a researcher, clinician, educator and mentor make him the ideal leader for our pediatric cancer efforts.”

– Judy Aschner, M.D.

For the past decade, Dr. Loeb’s laboratory has focused on translational sarcoma research. In addition to identifying Ewing sarcoma stem cells, his lab developed a unique animal model of sarcoma metastasis that allows investigators to study the details of how the disease spreads in the body. His lab also studies the WT1 gene, which is linked to acute leukemia and other cancers, including breast cancer and a variety of sarcomas. His ongoing research efforts are aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the biology of sarcoma stem cells and exploiting this knowledge to develop new therapeutic strategies for high-risk sarcomas.

Dr. Loeb received his B.A. in biology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. After earning both his Ph.D. (in pathology) and M.D. degrees at Columbia University, he returned to Johns Hopkins for his pediatric residency and postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology. He then joined that institution’s faculty, and in 2006, assumed leadership positions in its cancer center. He acted as chair of the center’s clinical research committee in 2012.

Dr. Loeb is the author of more than 80 published research papers, review articles, educational publications and book chapters. He is a member of numerous scientific advisory boards, including those for the Sarcoma Foundation of America, Neurofibromatosis Therapeutic Acceleration Program, Pablove Foundation, Libby Shriver Sarcoma Initiative, and Solving Kids Cancer, among others.  He has received numerous honors for his work, including the Director’s Teaching Award in Clinical Science at Johns Hopkins University three times (2006, 2010 and 2015) and the Justin Straus Chordoma Research Award from the Chordoma Foundation.