President George W. Bush has appointed Kenneth Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director
of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, as a member of the National Cancer Advisory
Board.
Members of the board provide advice to the president, Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services and the director of the National
Cancer Institute, with respect to the activities and policies carried out
by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
The advisory board consists of 18 members appointed for six-year terms.
Dr. Cowans term will run until March 2008.
Its a tremendous honor for Ken to be appointed by President Bush to
the board, UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., said. This appointment
recognizes what people think of Dr. Cowans perspective in the overall
shaping of cancer policy, as well as his accomplishments in the field.
He will have a tremendous opportunity to help shape cancer policies in
the National Cancer Institute and beyond.
Dr. Cowan said he was excited to begin his term on the advisory board.
This is certainly a great privilege and opportunity, and is one that
I will take very seriously, Dr. Cowan said. I look forward to assisting
President Bush, Secretary (Tommy) Thompson, and the NCI in developing plans
and policies for cancer research.
Dr. Cowans research and clinical interests focus on the prevention
and treatment of breast cancer. His research focuses on the mechanisms
of drug resistance, the biology of breast cancer and breast cancer genetics.
His clinical trials have focused on the identification of therapies to
treat and prevent breast cancer.
Before taking his position at Eppley in 1999, Dr. Cowan spent 21 years
at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. For 11 years, he served
as chief of the Medical Breast Cancer Section, Medicine Branch.
Dr. Cowan is the second UNMC faculty member to serve on the National
Cancer Advisory Board. James O. Armitage, M.D., dean of the College of
Medicine, was appointed to the board in 2000.