Johnathan Whetstine Joins the Cancer Epigenetics Program at Fox Chase Cancer

PHILADELPHIA (November 1, 2018) – Fox Chase Cancer Center is pleased to announce the hiring of nationally renowned epigenetics researcher Johnathan Whetstine, PhD, as program leader of the Cancer Epigenetics Program.

Whetstine comes to Fox Chase from Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he served as vice chair of the Epigenetics Program. He also held appointments as associate geneticist and associate professor in the department of medicine, respectively. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in epigenetics/pathology in the laboratory of Yang Shi, PhD, at Harvard Medical School, and earned his PhD in pharmacology from Wayne State University in Detroit.

A rising star in the field of epigenetics, Whetstine has made groundbreaking discoveries that have expanded the field and provided significant implications for understanding tumor heterogeneity and drug response. In recognition of the promise of his research, he holds the prestigious Scholar award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and a National Institutes of Health R01 grant, as well as funding from the American Lung Association, Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation and AstraZeneca.

“We welcome Dr. Whetstine, and are excited to strategically expand our research enterprise with this hire,” said Richard I. Fisher MD, president and CEO of Fox Chase. “Epigenetics is evolving into a critical area in oncology research, and we are proud to have such a high-caliber scientist to lead our program.’’

The new Cancer Epigenetics Program Whetstine will lead has basic, translational, and clinical research components, all dedicated to better understanding epigenetic regulation in cancer. The program’s findings will help to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and outcomes for various malignancies.

Among many professional leadership activities, Whetstine led and organized the successful Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology last year, which focused on epigenetics and human disease. He has received many invitations to speak at major conferences and institutions, serves on top-tier journal editorial boards (e.g., Science Advances) and frequently serves as a reviewer for top-tier peer-reviewed journals.

Whetstine will begin his work at Fox Chase on December 1, 2018.

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

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