Who: Dr. Joxel Garcia, 53
New role: Inaugural executive director of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's prevention and control platform, part of its “Moon Shots Program,” which aims to accelerate and improve cancer survival rates.
Past roles: Garcia most recently served as chief medical officer at Aegis Health Security, a global healthcare advisory firm he co-founded. Prior to that, he was director and CMO of the District of Columbia Department of Health, as well as president and dean of the Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences in his native Puerto Rico. In 2008, he was appointed assistant secretary for health at HHS and also became a four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service.
Reducing the burden of cancer: The new MD Anderson platform will develop policies, educational programs and services that focus on curbing cancer, including initiatives related to diet, sun protection, the HPV vaccine and other evidence-based preventive measures.
Stopping cancer in its tracks: “The WHO expects the burden of cancer to increase significantly in the coming years, and I think what we want to achieve is that it won't happen,” Garcia said. “I think we have the tools, the human resources and the intellectual power to move forward with this innovation to attack cancer before it happens.”
