SUMMARY
Cheryl L. Willman, M.D., is the Stephen and Barbara Slaggie Executive Director, Mayo Clinic Cancer Programs, and Director, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Willman is an internationally renowned physician scientist and a pioneer in the field of cancer precision medicine with a track record of innovation and successful translation of discoveries to clinical trials. Her research focuses on the use of genomics, next-generation genome sequencing and computational technologies to discover cancer-causing genomic mutations that can be translated to better cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
Dr. Willman and colleagues, as well as collaborators from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Black Hills Center for American Indian Health, are leading one of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Participant Engagement and Cancer Genome Sequencing Research Centers.
Dr. Willman came to Mayo Clinic from the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she served as director and CEO for 20 years. Under her leadership, that center became one of the most preeminent NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation.
Dr. Willman also co-led the NCI's Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) program. This project, a component of the NCI Cancer Genome Atlas project, focused on genomic sequencing of high-risk leukemias. Through these studies, she and her collaborators discovered leukemia-causing mutations that are more frequently seen in people of Hispanic ethnicity and Native American genetic ancestry. This work provided new insights into why people in these groups had historically failed to respond to treatments that were developed primarily through studies of non-Hispanic white people. These discoveries have been translated to several NCI-sponsored national clinical trials for leukemia, leading to significant improvements in patient outcomes.
Dr. Willman has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NCI, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for more than 30 years. She is a highly cited physician-scientist who has published more than 250 papers reporting her work in the highest-quality medical and scientific journals. She also holds 11 patents and patents pending.
Focus areas
- Expansion and strategic development of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center sites in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, as well as newly developing Mayo Clinic global cancer programs in London.
- Discovery of genomic abnormalities and their translation to new diagnostics, predictive genomic signatures and targeted therapeutic interventions to improve outcomes for patients with leukemia.
- Discovery of cancer-promoting genomic mutations and genome-wide mutational signatures that reflect environmental exposures and cancer risk behaviors in understudied, vulnerable populations.
- Development of new therapeutic strategies, including nanotherapeutics, in preclinical animal models and national clinical trials through the NCI National Clinical Trials Network.
- Disparities in cancer care, incidence and mortality among diverse and underserved populations.
- Genomic, environmental and behavioral mechanisms underlying cancers that disproportionately affect Native Americans and Hispanics.
Significance to patient care
By expanding and integrating outstanding discovery science and its translation to clinical and community settings, Dr. Willman's research and leadership across Mayo Clinic help ensure that all people have opportunities to benefit from advances in cancer research.
Through the development of innovative platforms, partnerships and deep community engagement, her leadership ensures that Mayo Clinic's renowned expertise in cancer care delivery is made available to more diverse populations and communities, reducing disparities in incidence and outcome.
Dr. Willman has laid the foundation for formal biomedical research partnerships with Tribal nations in the southwestern United States. These partnerships support cancer research and genomic science that is respectful of Tribal sovereignty concerns. They have had a paradigm-shifting impact on public policy, particularly national data-sharing policies around research with vulnerable populations.
Professional highlights
- David A. Ahlquist, M.D., Professor of Cancer Research, Mayo Clinic, 2022-present.
- Stephen and Barbara Slaggie Executive Director, Mayo Clinic Cancer Programs, and Director, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2021-present.
- Board member, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, 2011-present.
- Director and CEO, University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1999-2021.
- New Mexico Humanitarian Award, 2014.
- New Mexico La Estrella Award, 2013.
- Director, Leukemia Research Programs, NCI Children's Oncology Group and Southwest Oncology Group, 1998-2010.