The UH Appeal

Patients Gain Because UH Offers Top Docs an Edge, Says Breast Cancer Groundbreaker Lyndsay Harris, MD

University Hospitals attracts top talent from premier medical centers nationwide to provide UH patients with the finest leading-edge care. Case in point: Lyndsay Harris, MD, who came to University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in 2012 from Yale Cancer Center.

Dr. Harris earned international acclaim at Yale and, earlier, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She now holds the Diana Hyland Chair for Breast Cancer and is Director of the Breast Program at UH Seidman Cancer Center. She is also a leader in developing a new Breast Cancer Research Program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University, where Dr. Harris is Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology.

We sat down with Dr. Harris to learn why UH is so attractive to top-flight physician-scientists.

Why did you decide to join UH in 2012?

A: After meeting with the leadership team at Seidman Cancer Center, I knew this was the right place for me. I was incredibly impressed with Nathan and Stan. [Nathan Levitan, MD, is President of UH Seidman Cancer Center, and Stanton Gerson, MD, is Director of UH Seidman Cancer Center and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University.] Their vision and commitment to excellence and innovation really set an exciting tone.

What sets UH Seidman Cancer Center apart?

A: For me, it’s the people – the people who work here, and the people whose philanthropic support provides leading-edge resources. The compassion, and their passion for providing the absolute best cancer care, pervades every inch of the organization. That’s why UH has such a great reputation. [UH Seidman Cancer Center ranks among U.S. News & World Report’s top cancer hospitals nationally.]

What do leading physician-scientists like you find so appealing about UH?

A: A well-established clinical research program is very important. We have one of the country’s most advanced clinical research programs, which is a testament to the leadership of Dr. Neal Meropol. [Dr. Meropol is the Dr. Lester E. Coleman Jr. Chair in Cancer Research & Therapeutics at UH Case Medical Center and Division Chief, Hematology and Oncology, at UH Case Medical Center and at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where he is also a Professor of Medicine.]

We offer patients access to promising new drugs and therapies through hundreds of clinical trials. The best doctors want to be part of developing the next generation of care.

How is UH leading the way toward that next generation of cancer care?

A: We’re making great strides in personalizing treatments that will increase the likelihood of a cure. The individual genetic makeup of cancer is different for everyone. My own research focuses on the genetic sequencing of a person’s tumor to allow for more effective, personalized therapy.