Dr. Jedd Wolchok Joins Vilcek Foundation's Board of Directors

Dr. Jedd Wolchok ● Photo Credit: Weill Cornell Medicine

NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 (VSNewsNetwork.com) - The Vilcek Foundation has announced the addition of Dr. Jedd Wolchok to its board of directors, effective May 1, 2024. Dr. Wolchok is currently the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Jan Vilcek with colleagues in his laboratory at New York University ● Pictured L-R, seated: Yihong Zhang, Luiz Reis. Standing: Tae Ho Lee, Hans-Georg Wisniewski, Jedd Wolchok, Jan Vilcek, Jumning (Jimmy) Le, Jian-Xin Lin, Gene Lee, c. 1988. Photo courtesy of Jan Vilcek

Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel expressed his enthusiasm about Dr. Wolchok’s appointment: “Jan, Marica, and I are delighted to welcome Jedd to the Vilcek Foundation board,” said Kinsel. “Jedd is not only a leader in immunotherapy and oncology but also an academic and scientific mentor, and a philanthropist in his own right. We are honored and grateful to have him as a member of our team and look forward to working with him as we continue to develop our prizes and programs.”

Dr. Wolchok has a long-standing relationship with the foundation, having served as a juror for the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science from 2009 through 2024. His expertise in immunology and oncology is expected to greatly benefit the foundation’s initiatives in science, biotechnology, and medicine.

His contributions to the field of cancer treatment include the establishment of immunotherapy as a fundamental approach. Dr. Wolchok's research, primarily focused on novel immunotherapeutic agents in pre-clinical laboratory models, has been funded by the Research Project Grant Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His work at Memorial Sloan Cancer Center played a crucial role in the clinical development of treatments such as ipilimumab and the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for advanced melanoma.

Dr. Wolchok also has a historical connection with the foundation’s founder, Dr. Jan Vilcek. He worked in Dr. Vilcek’s laboratory at NYU from 1989 to 1993, during which time Dr. Vilcek served as his PhD advisor. Dr. Wolchok’s pioneering clinical trials in immunotherapy have been recognized as the future of the field, a sentiment Dr. Vilcek echoed in his 2016 memoir.

In 2023, Dr. Wolchok was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and is an active member of several prestigious medical and research societies. He also holds positions on the boards of other cancer research organizations and serves as a mentor and committee member for cancer research awards.

For more information about Dr. Wolchok’s new role and the Vilcek Foundation’s activities, visit vilcek.org.

Source: The Vilcek Foundation via Newswire