Career

Jan 15, 2025, 13:30

Krzysztof Ptak has been appointed as Director of the Office of Cancer Centers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Krzysztof Ptak has been appointed as the new Director of the Office of Cancer Centers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), starting in January 2025.

Krzysztof Ptak

In this role, he will lead the NCI Cancer Centers Program, which includes 72 cancer centers nationwide that drive vital cancer research, outreach, and education across communities in the U.S.

Dr. Krzysztof Ptak is an experienced leader in cancer research and public health, currently serving as the Director of the Office of Cancer Centers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a position he has held since January 2025.

In this role, Dr. Ptak leads the NCI Cancer Centers Program, which consists of 72 cancer centers across the United States dedicated to advancing cancer research, providing outreach to diverse communities, and offering education to both the public and healthcare professionals.

His leadership is critical to enhancing the collaborative efforts of these centers, driving forward scientific discovery, and improving the overall impact of cancer care across the nation.

Before his appointment as Director, Dr. Ptak held several significant positions within the NCI.

From 2017 to 2025, he served as Associate Director at NCI, where he was responsible for coordinating major cancer research initiatives, overseeing the development of new programs, and fostering national collaborations.

His work as Associate Director focused on strategic planning, the integration of cutting-edge research across the cancer centers, and ensuring that the NCI’s mission to reduce the burden of cancer was realized through scientific innovation and public health initiatives.

Dr. Ptak’s earlier career at NCI also includes serving as a Program Director in the Office of Cancer Centers from 2012 to 2017.

In this role, he played an instrumental part in expanding the Cancer Centers Program and supporting the integration of community engagement and outreach into cancer research efforts.

He also worked as a Program Director at the Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives from 2008 to 2012, where he contributed to the development and implementation of novel research strategies aimed at transforming cancer care and improving patient outcomes.

His focus during this time was on fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and pushing forward the frontiers of cancer research with the aim of improving therapies and diagnostics.

Dr. Ptak began his distinguished career at the NIH in 2003 as a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), where he conducted groundbreaking research in the field of neuroscience.

His work focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms of neurological disorders, a foundation that would later inform his approach to cancer research, particularly in areas where cancer and neurological health intersect.

Over the next five years, Dr. Ptak’s contributions to the field helped shape the NIH’s understanding of various neurological conditions and informed his transition into cancer research.