Andrew E. Place, MD, PhD appointed as Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Vice President, Pediatric Chief Medical Officer

Newswise — BOSTON —  Andrew E. Place, MD, PhD, has been named as Vice President, Pediatric Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (within the Department of Pediatric Oncology) and Boston Children’s Hospital (within the Division of Hematology/Oncology) for the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. 

In this role, Place will work closely with institutional and departmental leaders at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Dana-Farber to help define and implement clinical strategies and operational approaches that enhance smooth and efficient running of clinical care services across the institutions. He will have a major role in oversight of all clinical operations involving oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients at both institutions.

“I am thrilled and honored to lead the clinical operations of our Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant programs.  I look forward to working closely with our clinicians to deliver innovative, compassionate, and patient-centered care to children and young adults with cancer and blood disorders,” said Place.

Place received his PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Dartmouth College in 2004 and his MD from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in 2006. He completed his pediatric residency training in the Boston Combined Residency Program at BCH and Boston Medical Center. He subsequently completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at BCH and Dana-Farber. In 2012, he became an attending physician in Pediatric Oncology at the Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center, where he currently participates in the development of early phase clinical trials for children and adolescents with high risk leukemias.

Place has been a successful leader of Dana-Farber’s Pediatric Hematological Malignancies Program for the past 6 years during which time he also has served as the CMO of Boston Children’s Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research. In these roles, Place gained significant institutional expertise in clinical and clinical research operations at both BCH and Dana-Farber.

“I believe that the growth and innovation of our clinical services will depend highly on strengthening the connectedness between our two world-class institutions. I anticipate developing and implementing a shared vision for our clinical services that focuses on delivering expert care and improving the experience of providing that care,” said Place.

Place is replacing Lisa Diller, MD who stepped down from the role at the end of 2023, after holding the CMO position since 2007. She continues to be a member of the leadership team in her role as Vice-Chair in the Department of Pediatric Oncology, focusing on Faculty Affairs, and as a leader at Dana-Farber representing clinical pediatric oncology in institutional initiatives and strategy.

About Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center combines expertise of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital to offer seamless, integrated care for children with all types of cancer and blood disorders — including the rarest and most complex cases. The Center performs more than 100 stem cell transplants each year and has performed over 1,500 stem cell transplants to-date, making it one of the largest and most experienced pediatric stem cell transplant programs in the world. Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s was the first hospital in New England to offer MIBG therapy to treat high-risk neuroblastoma (including relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma) and is currently one of only about 10 hospitals in the country to provide this therapy. All patients have access to leading-edge precision medicine research which provides valuable information about their unique tumor profile. Additionally, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s offers the most advanced treatments including CAR T-cell therapy, gene therapy and immunotherapy for children with cancer or blood disorders.