Newswise — PHILADELPHIA – James Metz, MD, has been named the chair of the department of Radiation Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He will lead the department’s 60 plus radiation oncologists and medical physicists who work with the Abramson Cancer Center to deliver the most advanced forms of radiation therapy to more than 3,800 patients per year.
The Morton M. Kligerman Professor of Radiation Oncology, Metz has been serving as the interim chair since November 2014, and held a series of administrative positions within the department beginning in 2005, when he was appointed director of Clinical Operations. In 2009, he was appointed vice chair of the Clinical Division in Radiation Oncology and in 2010 became director of Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement. Subsequently, in 2014, he was appointed vice chair of the department.
Dr. Metz also led the development of the Roberts Proton Therapy Center, the largest proton center in the world that opened in 2010, thanks in part to a $15 million gift from Ralph and his son Brian L. Roberts. Since that time, 14 are now operational and 10 more are under construction in the United States.
“Dr. Metz is a collaborative and inclusive leader who has played an important role in elevating the department’s level of excellence and reputation, both nationally and internationally, in part by helping to establish our world-renowned proton therapy center,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. “His exciting, comprehensive vision for the future, including the opportunity to be more involved in basic, translational and clinical research, will no doubt take the department in new and innovative directions.”
Metz received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine. He was a resident and then chief resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania beginning in 1996, and joined the Penn faculty in 1999.
Metz has also pioneered the use of online cancer survivorship care plans and web-based cancer education and information. He is nationally recognized as the longtime Editor-in-Chief and now Executive Director of OncoLink, named on numerous occasions as one of the Top 10 medical websites in the world by the National Library of Medicine. He has published widely regarding OncoLink, which has continued to grow under his leadership and vision to create a vibrant and engaging online community for cancer patients, survivors and clinicians.
Metz is a member of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology and is on the steering committee for the Particle Therapy Cooperative Group. His clinical research emphasizes multimodality therapies for locally advanced gastrointestinal malignancies.
###Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.9 billion enterprise.The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 17 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $409 million awarded in the 2014 fiscal year.The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; Chester County Hospital; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2014, Penn Medicine provided $771 million to benefit our community.
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