Dr. Erin Kobetz Named Vice Provost for Research

It was announced in September 2019 that Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., the associate director for population science and cancer disparity at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, would assume the role of Vice Provost for Research for the University of Miami in June 2020.

In the interim, she served as co-vice provost for research, assuring a smooth transition in the critical mission of fostering the highest quality research and creative activities to advance knowledge and address regional, national, and global society needs.

“Dr. Kobetz played an integral role in Sylvester’s efforts to develop interdisciplinary research and outreach initiatives, which helped the cancer center secure its recent National Cancer Institute designation, and I believe she is a natural fit to assume this role,“ said Jeffrey Duerk, Ph.D., executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

Dr. Kobetz has substantial experience with disparities-focused research, and has been involved in multiple community-based participatory research endeavors to understand racial differences in breast and cervical cancer outcomes. In 2004, Dr. Kobetz established Patné en Aksyon (Partners in Action), the campus community partnership between Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and key community-based organizations in Little Haiti. Dr. Kobetz also founded the Firefighter Cancer Initiative, which has been developing new prevention protocols and monitoring techniques to reduce the high risk of cancer among Florida’s firefighters for the past five years. She also launched the Sylvester Game Changer™ Vehicle, taking cancer screenings and health information to underserved communities in South Florida.

“I am tremendously honored by this opportunity,” Dr. Kobetz said. “The University of Miami is uniquely positioned to make inroads on global challenges through interdisciplinary research and collaboration, and I am eager to be a part of this work.”

Dr. Kobetz received her Ph.D. from the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.P.H. from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

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Dr. Krishna Komanduri Named New Division Chief

Krishna Komanduri, M.D., has been appointed chief of the newly created Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy in the Department of Medicine. He will also be director of a soon-to-be established institute devoted to cellular therapy.

In these new roles, Dr. Komanduri works closely with Sylvester leadership to ensure the division develops and rapidly incorporates leading-edge technologies, including significant participation in translational, clinical, and outcomes research, as well as new novel device and treatment development. Dr. Komanduri has been with Sylvester for 12 years, is instrumental to the growth of the transplantation program, and has been a pioneer in establishing cellular therapies at Sylvester.