Chapter 12: Administrative Roles; On the MD Anderson Presidents; Looking Ahead to Retirement

Chapter 12: Administrative Roles; On the MD Anderson Presidents; Looking Ahead to Retirement

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Dr. Hong explains how he came to serve the role of Vice Provost for Clinical Research, overseeing the institution’s research and laying ground rules for working with patients. Clinical research is “very complicated and requires meticulous attention and rigorous conduct,” he observes. He reviews the range of challenges clinical trials present and also describes the lessons he learned by serving as Vice Provost. Most importantly, he became aware of how much the faculty struggles to conduct research, and his new knowledge of this influenced recommendations he made to the executive administration.

Next, he offers his views on the presidents of MD Anderson. He speaks about Dr. Charles LeMaistre’s role in opening up cancer prevention. Dr. John Mendelsohn was more translational in approach: Dr. Hong notes the similarity in their approaches and backgrounds. (He quips that they play tennis together.) Dr. Hong observes that Dr. Ronald DePinho is a brilliant scientist with vision who fits the institution perfectly. He also notes that Dr. Margaret Kripke was another key leader who understand science and translational research.

Dr. Hong next discusses his role as presidential appointee (under George W. Bush) to the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB), a board that reviews research and makes recommendations on allocating funds. He explains process of reviewing proposals (and appeals of rejections). Dr. Hong observes that funding has been flat in the past years and he talks about the impact of this reduction of resources on research. He expresses concern that “America has been powerful and successful because of the substantial funding of research,” but this is no longer the case.

Dr. Hong briefly talks about his work with Chinese cancer institutions while he was President of the American Association for Cancer Research. In 2001 he created a travel fund to bring Chinese researchers to meetings.

Dr. Hong briefly speaks about his retirement plans. He anticipates that he will work with Dr. John Mendelsohn at the Institute for Personalized Therapy.

Identifier

HongWK_02_20131016_C12

Publication Date

10-16-2013

Publisher

The Making Cancer History® Voices Oral History Collection, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

City

Houston, Texas

Topics Covered

The Interview Subject's Story - The Administrator; The Administrator; Building/Transforming the Institution; Multi-disciplinary Approaches; Growth and/or Change; Overview; Definitions, Explanations, Translations; Contributions; Activities Outside Institution; Career and Accomplishments; Post Retirement Activities; Portraits; On Research and Researchers

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Disciplines

History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Oncology | Oral History

Transcript

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

I do. I have just a few more questions. I know that it was in 2012 that the executive committee created Vice Provost for Clinical Research. Can you tell me about that, why it was needed, and what’s the mission of that post?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

There was a call from the president, Ron DePinho, asking me to serve as Vice Provost of Clinical Research, because the institution needed a senior faculty. We all received a clinical research agreement and laid out some groundwork. They asked that I do that, and I did that for twelve months. It was a very rewarding experience. I learned a lot. Then I relinquished that position, and I was just the head of Cancer Medicine. I think the institution—Ethan Dmitrovsky, who is the provost, is doing that job until he finds a new person through a national search. Tacey Ann Rosolowki, PhD Tell me why you found that so rewarding.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Clinical research is very complicated. It’s not the same as doing some experiment in an animal in a laboratory, because clinical research is targeting the human. It requires very meticulous attention and rigorous conduct. They ensure a clinical research project so that anyone who can implement it is ensured it is complete. You make some errors, and then you cannot repeat. Any one of my [animal] experiments you can repeat in another humananimal. [But clinical research is] It’s a more serious human experiment. It requires some meticulous science. Also, human subject participation is required and a consent form, an ILBIRB. To do that kind of a study, you have to acquire some new drugs from the drug company or NCI. That’s not an easy task at all. It’s very challenging. Some young faculty don’t know how to do it. I think I have to help them to do the right studies. I implemented the whole area with more rigor and more studiousness. Tacey Ann Rosolowki, PhD And what did you feel you learned from serving that role for a year?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

I learned about how much the faculty are struggling. And also, to do the clinical investigation, you have to have some protected time. We’re all so busy taking care of the patients, obviously, we’re not able to carry out sophisticated clinical research. That’s very important.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Has that information changed anything that you’re going to do as head of the division[Vice Provost of Clinical Research]?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Yeah, I came up with specific recommendations, and then forwarded it. I think they are under consideration to implement my recommendations that I made.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

I just had a couple of other questions. I wanted to ask you about the presidents and other top administrators that you’ve worked with. Maybe you could comment on your work with the different presidents—Dr. [Charles] LeMaistre, Dr. Mendelsohn, and Dr. [Ronald] DePinho.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

All of them are great.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

How are they different? What are the different things they’ve done for MD Anderson in your opinion?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Dr. LeMaistre was a gentleman—a Southern gentleman. He had a tremendous vision. He was the one that recruited me to come. He was the first person who really opened up the cancer prevention program, which is considered the top in the country, like the chemoprevention area is part of cancer prevention, and basically, organization administration of the chemical compound that halts cancer development. He was a fan of mine. Then John Mendelsohn, he is more of a translational researcher. We come from similar backgrounds. So he and I worked out together, not only in the institution, also outside the institution. We played tennis.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Who wins?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

I cannot tell. He wins more than I do. He’s older than me so—he has been very supportive [shrewd tennis player]. I think he was the guy that really expanded immensely the research component. LeMaistre was the president who was very strong in the clinical area. He opened up the prevention. But basic science was lukewarm. And Mendelsohn expanded it immensely and more research-driven patient care and clinical research and translational research. Also, he invested quite a bit in the education area. DePinho is a new guy and he is, perhaps very, the smartest guy—a brilliant scientist. I think he has tremendous vision. He is a more seasoned researcher, a doctor clearly about modern science. He fits the institution just perfectly as a president.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Are there other leaders who you’ve worked with who you would say have had a special impact on the institution? Aside from the presidents, other people on the executive team or other division heads, department heads—

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

That’s a tough question. There are so many good people, I cannot pinpoint. I respected most of them. To single out a person that had influence to me to build up and establish not only my programs but cancer medicine—Margaret Kripke. She is no longer with us. She was a past EVP and provost. She was quite influential.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

What impact do you feel she had?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

She understands science and understands about issues related to translational research. She was a good listener. All the department chairs, actually, they are wonderful.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

You’ve been appointed to a number or boards, worked on advisory committees. Are there any of those that you feel deserve discussion in terms of that they helped you think differently, or helped you grow, or that you felt you had a particular impact on?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Extramural?

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Extramural. There’s the NCI appointment.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

That’s the National Cancer Advisory Board.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Yes, the Cancer Advisory Board.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

That was a presidential appointment.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Right, in 2008 until 2014. So tell me about that.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

That’s the only board within NIH that has a presidential appointment. Within NIH there are hundreds of different boards. That’s the only board that is appointed by a president. That’s a unique, highly prestigious thing. Basically, the NCAB advises NCI’s research activities and also funding allocations. Anyone who receives a grant beyond $50,000 must be approved by the National Cancer Advisory Board. So you are a grantee, but your grant was not fairly reviewed. You can make an appeal. The appeal can be discussed at NCAB and then accepted or rejected. It’s a very powerful committee. As an outstanding investigator, the NCI wanted to give a merit extension that should be approved by NCAB. And for new program development, if NCI’s interested to fund it it must be approved by NCAB.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Over the course of your service to that committee since 2008, have there been some trends that you’ve noticed or particularly interesting discussions? What can you tell me about that?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

The short answer is that it’s not a good time in the funding situation. Funding is now flat. The government is shut down.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Recently, that’s true.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

I think that is a huge issue.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

And is that kind of the culmination of a flat—since 2008?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Yes, the sequestration and flat budget—the undertow of the sequestration.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Now what kind of pressure has that put on academic institutions and funding?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

It’s quite tangible. The major concern is losing good researchers to industry and discouraging young people from being devoted to research because of lack of funds. Research is an investment. They see that they’ve got their MD or PhD, they’re already married with a couple of kids—if they go out to private practice, they can make tons of money. But they stay in academia because they’re interested in research and completing research. But if there is no fuel supply, you cannot drive the car. That dampens the enthusiasm, and they get really fed up. That’s enough. They pack up, and they go up on the street [to open up private practice].

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

What do you see in the future for this particular situation? Any change?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Gloomy.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

It’s very gloomy.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Yeah.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

And you’re going to be on that committee until—

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Next year.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Next year, 2014.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Thank God, I’m counting down.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Oh, are you?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Yeah, so again, America has been very powerful and very successful because—you know why?—because there used to be a substantial amount of funds for research. That is no longer the case. There, I think, because they have an opportunity to attract a lot of good people to come from foreign countries. A brain is good and coming here for research opportunity—they have discovered some exciting stuff and been successful. But if there is no money for researchers, then they’re not going to come. We even lose our own people.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

There are a couple other committees you were on. You were appointed to a three-year term to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

That was a long time ago.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Okay, not so significant? Then you also served as President of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

That was in 2001.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Too long ago?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

That was eleven or twelve years ago.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Okay.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

I made some impact there in promoting more international collaborative efforts and promoting more translational research throughout the world’s countries and more prevention research. That was in 2001. At the time, in China, they could not send the people to the United States to attend a meeting. So I created some fund to provide the travel fund—a travel fund—airfare from China to the United States and the hotel lodging. Through the abstract—based on the abstract review, it was a good abstract that was represented, and we gave them the fund. At the time, GNP in China was down. Not anymore. So now they can come with their own money. The world is changing. But I did very good things.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Are there some other initiatives that I’ve missed that you’d like to tell me about?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

No, that’s the international collaborative research effort and education training and prevention research, more translational research.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

You don’t want to share the date of your retirement, but what are you looking forward to when you retire?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Family—spending more time with family. Even after I retire, I’m going to work part-time with John Mendelsohn at IPCT [Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy]. That’s the area I am studying the science.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

No. No, I think you did a wonderful interview. Look over this. A lot of things I talked about are covered in there.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Sure. And it will be great to have the images as well. There are some neat things from your family and mentors.

Waun Ki Hong, MD:

Then you can read this one. All right, Tacey.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Well, thank you very much. Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it very much. And I’m turning off the recorder at 3:50. (End of Audio Three)

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Chapter 12: Administrative Roles; On the MD Anderson Presidents; Looking Ahead to Retirement

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