Massimo Loda – Candidate for the AACR Nominating Committee

The voting for the 2025 AACR Annual Election is now open, where members will vote for the next President-Elect, Treasurer, five Board Members, and four members of the Nominating Committee.

This year, Massimo Loda, MD is a candidate for the AACR Nominating Committee.

Dr. Massimo Loda is an endowed tenured professor and chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, where he also serves as pathologist-in-chief at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

He holds multiple academic appointments, including visiting professor roles at Universita Vita-Salute in Milan, Italy, the University of Rome, and Nuffield Surgical Sciences at Oxford University, UK.

Dr. Loda is also professor emeritus of pathology at Harvard Medical School.

Previously, Dr. Loda was the Newtown Abraham Professor at Oxford University, faculty at the Weill Cornell Graduate School, and interim director of the Meyer Cancer Center.

He has held leadership roles at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, including chair of the Department of Oncologic Pathology and director of the Molecular in Situ Hybridization and Prostate Human Pathology Cores.

His career also includes faculty positions at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Broad Institute.

Dr. Loda’s expertise spans molecular and translational oncology, with significant contributions to the field of oncologic pathology.

Dr. Massimo Loda’s research focuses on the role of pathology and post-translational mechanisms in cancer, with a particular emphasis on prostate cancer.

His work explores the metabolic alterations that drive prostate tumorigenesis, specifically investigating lipid metabolism and its impact on tumor growth and progression.

He also studies the interactions within the stromal microenvironment of prostate cancer, aiming to understand how these cellular and molecular changes contribute to cancer development and metastasis.

Through these investigations, Dr. Loda aims to uncover novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for prostate cancer.

Dr. Massimo Loda has made significant contributions to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in various leadership and service roles.

Currently, he serves as the chair of the Pathology in Cancer Research Working Group and is a member of the AACR Precision Combination Therapy Task Force.

He has held key positions such as chair of the James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award Committee and editor-in-chief of Molecular Cancer Research. Dr. Loda’s commitment to cancer research and education is further demonstrated by his past leadership as cochair of the Annual Meeting Program and Education Committees.

He has received the prestigious AACR Team Science Award in 2020 and has served on multiple committees, including the Scientific Achievement Awards Nominating Committee and the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award Committee. His ongoing involvement with the AACR reflects his dedication to advancing cancer research through collaborative efforts and scientific leadership.

Education

Dr. Massimo Loda earned his MD from the University of Milan in 1980 and later completed a BA at Harvard University in 2006. His postdoctoral training began with a fellowship in anatomic and molecular pathology at Tufts University from 1988 to 1989. He also completed residency programs in anatomic pathology (1986-1988) and general surgery (1985-1986) at Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Additionally, Dr. Loda trained in emergency surgery at Ospedale Policlinico, University of Milan, from 1980 to 1985. His extensive education and training laid the foundation for his distinguished career in cancer research and pathology.

Awards and Honors

– Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, American-Italian Cancer Foundation (2022)
– Recipient, Special Challenge Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation (2021, 2022)
– Member, External Advisory Board, University of Wisconsin Prostate SPORE (2020-present)
– Recipient, Meritorious Award, Society for Basic Urologic Research (2020)
– Recipient, William O. Russell Award, MD Anderson Cancer Research Center (2020)
– Recipient, A. David Mazzone Mentoring Career Development Award, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (2018-2019)
– Member, Editorial Board, American Journal of Pathology (2012-2014)

Interviews with Massimo Loda

The Future of Pathology at Weill Cornell Medicine – Weill Cornell Medicine – Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (1st March, 2022)