Ross Levine, MD, Selected as Editor-in-Chief of the AACR Journal Blood Cancer Discovery
PHILADELPHIA – The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) today announced the appointment of Ross Levine, MD, as editor-in-chief of Blood Cancer Discovery, one of the 10 highly esteemed journals published by the AACR. He will serve as editor-in-chief alongside founding editors-in-chief Riccardo Dalla-Favera, MD, FAACR, and Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, FAACR, who have led the journal with distinction since its launch in 2019.
Blood Cancer Discovery publishes original research articles and briefs, as well as perspectives and reviews of broad interest, that represent major advances in basic, translational, and clinical research of leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and associated diseases. The journal’s scope includes genetic, immune, metabolic, microenvironmental, and systemic factors driving oncogenesis and therapy resistance; new therapies, diagnostic tools, and biomarkers; and computational and machine learning approaches to personalized medicine—from preclinical proof of concept to clinical trials and real-world evidence.
“The AACR is thrilled to welcome Dr. Ross Levine as editor-in-chief of Blood Cancer Discovery,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “His pioneering work in defining the genetic drivers of myeloid neoplasms and acute myeloid leukemia, along with his commitment to translating these discoveries into transformative therapies, makes him exceptionally qualified for this role. Together with Drs. Riccardo Dalla-Favera and Kenneth Anderson, he will ensure the journal continues to publish the most innovative and impactful research in blood cancers.”
Levine is Chief Scientific Officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where he also holds the Edward P. Evans Endowed Chair for Myelodysplastic Syndromes. In addition, he is a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Levine’s research is focused on understanding the genetic basis for the development of myeloid malignancies and using this insight to develop better therapies. His primary research interests include the role of JAK-STAT signaling in malignant transformation and the effects of mutations in epigenetic modifiers in clonal hematopoiesis and myeloid malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia. Levine discussed his career, current priorities, the future of blood cancer research, and his goals for the journal in a Q&A published in this month’s issue of Blood Cancer Discovery.
“I am honored to serve as editor-in-chief of Blood Cancer Discovery alongside Drs. Riccardo Dalla-Favera and Kenneth Anderson,” said Levine. “Together, we aim to ensure that the journal reflects the breadth and depth of the field—from fundamental mechanistic insights to translational studies that improve patient outcomes—while fostering collaboration and innovation across the blood cancer research community. This is an exciting time for the field, and I look forward to helping the journal highlight discoveries that will shape the next generation of therapies.”
An AACR member since 2008, Levine is currently a member of the AACR Scientific Advisory Council and the AACR Hematologic Malignancies Working Group Steering Committee. He has served as director of the renowned AACR Molecular Biology in Clinical Oncology Workshop since 2018. Previously, Levine served as chair of the AACR Annual Meeting Education Committee (2018), cochair of the AACR Annual Meeting Program Committee (2018, 2016), and member of the AACR Annual Meeting Clinical Trials Committee (2015-2017).
Prior to his selection as editor-in-chief, Levine served as a scientific editor for Blood Cancer Discovery. He was also a deputy editor of the AACR journal Clinical Cancer Research from 2011 to 2019.
Levine has received numerous awards over the course of his career, including the International Society for Experimental Hematology Outstanding Mentor Award (2024), a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Excellence in Scientific Service award (2023), the Memorial Sloan Kettering Excellence in Mentoring Award (2020), the William Dameshek Prize from the American Society of Hematology (2018), and the Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Cancer Research (2014).
Levine earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Gary Gilliland, MD, PhD, FAACR, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School before joining Memorial Sloan Kettering. He has published more than 350 scientific articles and more than 100 books, book chapters, and review articles.
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