SARC (Sarcoma Alliance for Research Through Collaboration) is pleased to announce that Jonathan Fletcher, M.D., has been appointed Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), a new role at this non-profit cancer research organization which leads collaborative discovery, translational research, and clinical trials in sarcoma, a form of cancer that impacts children and adults.
Dr. Fletcher is a lab-based medical and pediatric oncologist at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. He is also trained in genetics. Dr. Fletcher also serves on the SARC Board of Directors and on its Scientific Steering, Career Development, and Discovery/Translation Committees.
As CSO, Dr. Fletcher will expand SARC commitments in sarcoma biology, discovery science, and biomarkers, thereby strengthening SARC’s portfolio of clinical trials. State-of-the-art correlative science studies will continue to be a SARC priority, and efforts to maximize clinical trial data-sharing with the scientific community will be increased.
“Dr. Fletcher is an inspirational leader in sarcoma research and, apropos to this appointment, is widely recognized for his commitment to advancing the team science efforts which are so key to accelerating discoveries from the lab to the clinic,” said Steven Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of SARC. “SARC welcomes the opportunity to further deepen Dr. Fletcher’s hands-on engagement supporting our mission to convert sarcoma biologic discoveries into more effective treatments.”
Dr. Fletcher will also serve as chief spokesperson for SARC’s scientific strategy, translating sarcoma science for diverse audiences such as the NIH, patient advocates, sarcoma clinicians, and SARC industry partners.
“SARC fosters multi-institutional collaborations, providing expertise in clinical trials, biostatistics, and biospecimen processing,” said Dr. Fletcher. “We now aim to expand SARC’s commitment to discovery and translational sciences. One goal is to integrate more science in each SARC clinical trial, explaining why new therapies help some people and not others. This will enable us to refine the therapeutic approaches, helping more people and reducing needless treatment toxicity.”
To learn more about the SARC organization, its impactful programs, and clinical trials, and how to help support its mission, please visit the SARC website at www.sarctrials.org.