Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, has been sworn in as the 18th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH, by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
A professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Letai is known for pioneering work on how cancer cells evade death, leading to the development of therapies such as the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax and the use of predictive biomarkers to guide treatment.
He received his MD and PhD from the University of Chicago, trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and completed a hematology/oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber, joining its faculty in 2004. His research has advanced treatments for both liquid and solid tumors, and he is a recipient of the NCI Outstanding Investigator Award and other major honors.
Leaders and organizations across medicine and research congratulated him on his appointment.
The National Institutes of Health:
“Dr. Anthony Letai was sworn in today as the new director of NIH’s National Cancer Institute. Dr. Letai holds decades of experience studying cell death in cancer, identifying predictive biomarkers, and developing new treatments, including cellular immunotherapies.
Dr. Letai will oversee the nation’s premier cancer research agency, which works to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer, a critical step in our quest to reduce chronic illness and Make America Healthy Again. Welcome, Dr. Letai!
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR):
“The AACR congratulates Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, on his appointment as the 18th Director of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Letai has been an AACR member since 2001, and he currently serves as a program committee co-chair for the AACR Annual Meeting 2026 and as a member of the AACR Hematologic Malignancies Working Group Steering Committee.
We look forward to working with Dr. Letai and NCI to advance our shared mission to prevent and cure all cancers.”
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN):
“Dr. Anthony Letai has been named as the National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s new director. This role is critical to ensuring ongoing innovation in oncology.
Shane Jacobson, CEO of the American Cancer Society and ACS CAN, said:
‘With over 2 million new cancer cases expected to be diagnosed this year, this is a critical time for the NCI, an agency that, with appropriate and sustainable funding, can produce scientific discoveries that get us closer to finding cures for the more than 200 diseases we know as cancer. We look forward to working with Dr. Letai and the NCI staff toward our shared goal of ending cancer as we know it for everyone, by prioritizing effective, transparent, and evidence-based cancer research infrastructure and processes, including broad access to clinical trials, that can speed up progress in the fight against cancer.’
Read the full statement.”
“Congratulations to Tony Letai, MD, PhD, on being named the new director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). An internationally renowned researcher and oncologist, Letai has helped shape our understanding of cancer through his study of cell death. His appointment is a testament to our continuing commitment to innovation and collaboration.
“Congratulations to Dr. Tony Letai on his appointment as Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Letai is an accomplished scientist with a remarkable track record of discovery at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of our key Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) sites.
Our goal at PICI is to develop and accelerate access to breakthrough cancer therapies, curating innovation from discovery to commercialization. We look forward to collaborating with NCI under Dr. Letai’s leadership, and to bringing forward the next generation of cancer cures, together.”
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