Caryn Lerman, Director of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck Medicine of USC, shared a post on LinkedIn:
” Dear Friends, I wish to share something deeply personal with you. After almost seven transformative years as Director of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, I’ve decided to step down and move into the next chapter of my career at USC and beyond.
Leading a cancer center has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Every day, I’ve witnessed extraordinary courage – from our patients facing unimaginable challenges to researchers dedicating their careers to curing this dreaded disease, to the healthcare heroes who bring compassion to the most difficult moments in people’s lives. Cancer strips away everything and shows you what really matters: purpose, connection, and the profound impact we can have when we work together.
I’ve learned that true leadership in the cancer space isn’t about the strategic plans or fundraising goals, or even about the CCSG (although those things matter). It’s about creating an environment where brilliant people can thrive, where patients feel supported, even in a challenging climate as we now face. It’s about mentoring the next generation of leaders who will carry this mission forward long after I’m gone. When I shared my decision earlier this year, I was deeply moved by Dean Carolyn Meltzer’s letter to the community, which captured what this journey has meant. Excerpt below USC has been fortunate to have such an exceptional leader for our cancer center.
An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Lerman was appointed the fifth director of USC Norris cancer center in March 2019. She led a strategic process of transformative growth culminating in the renewal of the $38M P30 Cancer Center Support Grant and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designation with the best score in the history of USC and one of the very best in the nation. Under her leadership, the Keck School and USC have benefited from the recruitment of over 30 faculty members, creation of a world-class center for cancer drug development, and a new center for cancer cellular therapy research.
Since her arrival, USC Norris cancer center has attracted over $120M in philanthropy and has grown its cancer related research base to over $130M annually, doubling its funding from the NCI. Furthermore, Dr. Lerman’s camaraderie, commitment to collaboration, and unwavering support and encouragement have made USC Norris cancer center an incredibly fulfilling place to work. Over the past six years, Dr. Lerman has also influenced the national cancer landscape as President of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and Chair of the NCI Cancer Center Review Committee.
A major thrust of her AACI presidency focused on leadership diversity and development, creating a national model to transform cancer center leadership across the nation.
Thank you Dean Meltzer for your extraordinary leadership!”
More posts featuring Caryn Lerman.