People
October 27, 2010
R. Randall Rollins Chair in Oncology established
H. Jean Khoury, professor of hematology and medical oncology, and director of the Division of Hematology in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology
The R. Randall Rollins Chair in Oncology has been established in the School of Medicine with a gift of $2 million from the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation.
H. Jean Khoury, professor of hematology and medical oncology, and director of the Division of Hematology in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, is the first holder of the Rollins Chair, in partnership with the Winship Cancer Institute.
The purpose of the chair is to support a faculty member with a focus in patient care and cancer research.
The Rollins family has been a benefactor to Emory for generations with major gifts to the Candler School of Theology, O. Wayne Rollins Research Building and the Rollins School of Public Health.
“This gift illustrates yet again the Rollins family’s generosity and commitment to the advancement of medicine and medical education,” says Thomas J. Lawley, dean of the School of Medicine. “We are extremely grateful, and we know that Dr. Khoury’s appointment will yield great progress in research and patient care.”
Khoury’s research interest focuses on the development of novel targeted agents for the treatment of patients with leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.
He also directs a research program studying dynamic genetic profile changes in cancer cells collected from patients with hematological malignancies over the course of their disease. This data can help physicians better tailor anti-cancer treatments such as immunotherapy using bone marrow transplantation to help prevent relapse following standard chemotherapy.
The Rollins Foundation’s gift is part of Campaign Emory, a $1.6 billion fundraising endeavor whose investments fuel efforts to address fundamental challenges: improving health, gaining ground in science and technology, resolving conflict, harnessing the power of the arts, and educating the heart and mind.
