I Biographies
 John E. Niederhuber, M.D.
 Director
National Cancer Institute
Anna D. Barker, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Alan Guttmacher, M.D.
Acting Director
National Human Genome Research Institute
John E. Niederhuber, M.D.
Director
National Cancer Institute
John E. Niederhuber, M.D. became Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in September 2006. Prior to that, he had been the Institute’s Acting Director since June 2006, and he was also the Deputy Director for Translational and Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute. Before joining NCI, Dr. Niederhuber was the Wattawa Professor-Bascom in Cancer Research, Professor of Surgery and Oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. Dr. Niederhuber served the University of Wisconsin as the Director of the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center from July 1997 until October 2002. He came to the University of Wisconsin in 1997 from Stanford University where he had served as Chair of the Department of Surgery. In June 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Niederhuber Chair of the National Cancer Advisory Board, a position he held until resigning to become the Deputy Director at NCI in 2005.
Dr. Niederhuber’s research at the NCI focuses on the study of tissue stem cells as the cell-of-origin for cancer. His lab is working to identify, characterize fully, and isolate this population of cells with the hypothesis that such cells might be the required therapeutic target. Under investigation are the conditions that would make it possible to grow cancer stem cells in culture, such as hypoxia. Post transcriptional profiles of stem cells compared to other tumor cells and cells of the tumor microenvironment are being used to determine differences and potential drugable targets in cancer stem cells. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology is being used to reduce or block candidate gene expression. Tyrosine kinases and other cellular pathways, such as Hedgehog, in subpopulations of cancer stem cells compared to non-stem cells, are used to further define unique targets. His lab is also studying the viral cancer vector HPV, to identify the binding site theorized to be a stem cell epithelial receptor.
The complex relationship between tumor cells and the microenvironment is another component of Dr. Niederhuber’s research program. Studies will focus on how normal stroma is changed during tumor progression with the goal of developing strategies to prevent the development of tumors based upon an understanding of the alterations in the microenvironment. He holds a clinical appointment on the NIH Clinical Center Medical Staff.
Dr. Niederhuber is a nationally recognized cancer surgeon with a special clinical emphasis in gastrointestinal cancer, hepatobiliary cancer, and breast cancer. He is recognized for his pioneering work in hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and was the first to demonstrate the feasibility of totally implantable vascular access devices. The Blk-proto-oncogene was a novel discovery in Dr. Niederhuber’s laboratory while he was a member of the faculty at The Johns Hopkins Medical School and is of interest because of its unique expression in B-cells and its participation in both proliferative and apoptotic pathways during B-cell differentiation.
Dr. Niederhuber has been a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology since 1978 and served as SSO President (2001-02). He also served as President of the American Association of Cancer Institutes (AACI) (2001-03). Dr. Niederhuber was one of the founding members and served on the executive committee of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Cooperative Group.
He served as a member of the NCI Cancer Center’s Review Committee (1984-86) and the NCI Division of Cancer Treatment Board of Scientific Counselors (1986-1991). He was Chairman of the Board from 1987-1991. He was a member of the NCAB Subcommittee to Evaluate the National Cancer Program (Committee to Assess Measures of Progress Against Cancer), chairing the Molecular Medicine Panel (1993-95). Dr. Niederhuber has served on the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation Kettering Prize Selection Committee (1988-89) and twice served on the GMCRF Awards Assembly (1988-92), (1998-02). He chaired the ASCO Surgical Oncology Task Force for the 2001-02 strategic planning process and the ASCO Public Policy and Practice Committee (2002-2003). He is a member of the Burroughs-Wellcome Foundation Translational Research Advisory Committee (1999-06).
Dr. Niederhuber is a graduate of Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia and the Ohio State University School of Medicine. He was an NIH Academic Trainee in Surgery at the University of Michigan (1969-70) and a Visiting Fellow, Division of Immunology at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (1970-71). He completed his training in surgery at the University of Michigan in 1973. He was a member of the faculty of the University of Michigan from 1973 to 1987, being promoted to Professor of Microbiology/Immunology and Professor of Surgery in 1980. During 1986-87, he was Visiting Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Niederhuber joined the faculty at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1987 as Professor of Surgery, Oncology, and Molecular Biology and Genetics. In 1991, He was appointed Emile Holman Professor of Surgery, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and Chair of the Department of Surgery, Stanford University. He left Stanford in 1997 to become the Director of the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he has guided the consolidation of the University’s two distinguished NCI supported cancer centers.
Dr. Niederhuber was recipient of a U.S. Public Health Service Career Development Award from NIAID (1974-79). In 1978 he received the Distinguished Faculty Service Award from the University of Michigan. He has also been recognized with the Alumni Achievement Award from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1989 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in Medicine from Bethany College (1995). He was elected to Who’s Who in America in 1998 and Who’s Who in Medicine and Health Care (1997). In addition, he has received numerous honorary professorships and is currently serving on the editorial board of ten scientific journals. He was a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (1993-95). He has authored and coauthored more than 180 publications and edited four books, including, with distinguished colleagues, the highly regarded reference text Clinical Oncology, which is currently in its third edition.
Anna D. Barker, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Barker serves as the Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and as the NCI’s Deputy Director for Strategic Scientific Initiatives. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the NCI and participates in all aspects of strategic planning, decision making and program implementation to achieve the NCI’s mission. Dr. Barker has led the planning, development and implementation of a number of strategic scientific and technology initiatives and partnerships that emphasize innovation, trans-disciplinary teams and convergence of scientific disciplines to enable progress against cancer. These programs also stress the development and application of advanced technologies, the synergy of large scale and individual initiated research, novel partnerships and translation of discoveries into new interventions to detect, prevent and treat cancer more effectively.
At the NCI Dr. Barker collaborated on the planning and implementation for the Institute’s major initiative in bioinformatics (the Cancer Bioinformatics Grid); planned and initiated an NCI wide program to establish biospecimen standards and best practices; and planned and launched the Clinic Proteomics Technology Initiative for Cancer that is focused on the development, standardization and deployment of the technologies, reagents and protocols needed to enable the systematic and reproducible identification of cancer biomarkers. She also co-developed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Pilot Program jointly with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). TCGA’s long term goal is to define all significant genetic changes in most if not all cancers. The pilot phase of this program has demonstrated “proof of concept” for large scale disease focused genomics and will move to an expanded phase in late 2009. In addition, under her leadership the NCI planned and deployed the Nanotechnology Alliance for Cancer, a major network in cancer nanotechnology dedicated to the development and application of nanotechnologies to areas ranging from new generation diagnostics to drug delivery and imaging. More recently, Dr. Barker led a planning effort to enable the convergence of the physical sciences (physics, mathematics, physical chemistry and engineering) with cancer biology. As a result the NCI will establish a network of Physical Oncology Centers to provide physical scientists and cancer biologists the opportunity to collaboratively study cancer at all scales. All of these programs broadly engage the extramural cancer research communities.
She co-led with the FDA the establishment of the NCI-FDA Interagency Oncology Task Force (IOTF). The focus of the IOTF is the identification of scientific and process gaps in the regulatory pathways for cancer interventions –and joint science-based approaches to addressing these barriers. Dr. Barker also leads the NCI’s efforts in strategic international research programs in Latin America and China.
Dr. Barker has a long history in research and the leadership and management of advanced research and development in the academic, non-profit and private sectors. She served as a senior executive at Battelle Memorial Institute for 18 years where she developed and led large groups of scientists and technical staff working in drug discovery and development, pharmacology, clinical trials and biotechnology, including several NCI sponsored research programs. As a Senior Vice President at Battelle, she pioneered several programs in cancer research in collaboration with the NCI, including the use of advanced research models for evaluating new drug candidates and novel models for pharmacologic and toxicological evaluation. In the private sector, she was a co-founder and CEO of a public biotechnology company focused in experimental therapeutics development of novel agents to control reactive oxygen damage; and a private cancer technology company.
She has served as: a member of the National Coalition of Cancer Research; a Partner and member of the Board of Directors of C-Change; chairperson of the C-Change Cancer Research Team; founding member of the Department of Defense (DOD) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) Integration Panel and chairperson of the BCRP Integration Panel; in a number of capacities for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), including the Board of Directors and chairperson of the Public Science Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee for over 10 years; a member of the NCI’s Board of Scientific Counselors, Division of Cancer Etiology, and chairperson of the Cancer Center Support Review Study Section; member of private boards of directors; and in varying capacities for a number of additional organizations. Dr. Barker has received a number of awards for her contributions to cancer research, cancer patients, professional and advocacy organizations and the ongoing national effort to prevent and cure cancer.
Dr. Barker completed her M.A. and Ph.D. at the Ohio State University, where she trained in immunology and microbiology. Her research interests include experimental therapeutics, tumor immunology, and free-radical biochemistry in cancer etiology and treatment.
Alan Edward Guttmacher, M.D.
Acting Director
National Human Genome Research Institute
Alan Edward Guttmacher, M.D., is the Acting Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), helping oversee the institute's efforts in advancing genome research, integrating the benefits of genome research into health care, and exploring the ethical, legal, and social implications of human genomics.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Guttmacher received an A.B. degree in 1972 from Harvard College and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1981. From 1982 to 1985, Dr. Guttmacher completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston. In 1985, he earned a two-year National Research Service Award from the U.S. Public Health Service as a fellow in medical genetics at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School.
In 1987, Dr. Guttmacher became director of the Vermont Regional Genetics Center at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. While there, he launched a series of public health genetics programs. In addition, Dr. Guttmacher directed the Vermont Cancer Center's Familial Cancer Program, the Vermont Newborn Screening Program, Vermont's only pediatric intensive care unit, and an NIH-supported initiative that was the nation's first statewide effort to involve the general public in discussion of the Human Genome Project's ethical, legal, and social implications.
While in Vermont, Dr. Guttmacher developed a busy practice in clinical genetics, conducted research, and was a tenured associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Vermont. He is currently a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and a member of the Institute of Medicine.
In 1999, Dr. Guttmacher joined the NHGRI as Senior Clinical Advisor to the Director. In that role, he established a dialogue with health professionals and the public about the health and societal implications of the HGP. He has given hundreds of talks to physicians, consumer groups, students and the lay public about genetics and its impact on health, health care and society.
Dr. Guttmacher also has played a critical role in guiding the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG), a non-profit coalition that promotes health-professional education and access to information about advances in human genetics. The NHGRI partnered with the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association to establish NCHPEG in 1996. For its first three years, NCHPEG operated from within the genome institute. Dr. Guttmacher oversaw the maturation of NCHPEG into a freestanding entity with 120 member organizations and its own executive director.
In 2003, Dr. Guttmacher and former NHGRI director, Dr. Francis S. Collins, co-edited a series about the application of advances in genomics to medical care titled: Genomic Medicine for The New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Guttmacher also oversees the NIH's involvement in the U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative, an effort to encourage all Americans to learn about and use their families' health histories to promote personal health and prevent disease.
On August 2, 2008, Dr. Guttmacher assumed the role of Acting Director of NHGRI. He will continue to serve as NHGRI's Deputy Director, a position he has held since 2002.
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