Howard S. Hochster, MD
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health welcome Howard S. Hochster, MD, an internationally recognized leader in the development of cancer clinical trials, gastrointestinal oncology, and early-phase cancer drugs. In January, Dr. Hochster assumed the role of Associate Director for Clinical Research and Chief of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute, as well as Director of Cancer Clinical Research for Oncology Services at RWJBarnabas Health.
Dr. Hochster, who is awaiting appointment as a Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was most recently on the faculty at the Yale Cancer Center and the Yale School of Medicine, where he served as Professor of Medicine, Associate Director for Clinical Sciences, and the disease aligned research team leader for the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program. He also served as a clinical program leader for the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital.
Research Activities and Experience
In his new roles, Dr. Hochster will oversee clinical research activities, which include therapeutic cancer clinical trials offered at Rutgers Cancer Institute and throughout the RWJBarnabas Health system. Measuring and analyzing the impact of newly approved and investigational drugs on patient outcomes are part of this “bench-to-bedside-and-back” exploration through Rutgers Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Program. Increasing patient access to clinical trials, encouraging additional investigator-initiated clinical trials, as well as facilitating funding and improving programmatic support for these protocols also will be part of his responsibilities.
Dr. Hochster, whose most recent clinical trials work involves the investigation of checkpoint inhibitors in gastrointestinal cancers, has decades of clinical trial experience and has collaborated with national cooperative groups, as well as the National Cancer Institute. ■
