Dr. F. Stephen Hodi is a world-renowned oncologist and pioneering leader in the field of immuno-oncology. He currently serves as Director of both the Melanoma Center and the Center for Immuno-Oncology at Dana-Farber Brigham and Women's Cancer Center. Dr. Hodi holds the prestigious Sharon Crowley Martin Chair in Melanoma at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. A graduate of Harvard University and Cornell University Medical College, he completed his postdoctoral training in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and his medical oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He joined the Dana-Farber faculty in 1998 and has since established himself as one of the foremost experts in melanoma therapeutics and cancer immunotherapy.
Dr. Hodi pioneered the clinical application of checkpoint inhibitors, being the first to report the clinical use of CTLA-4 blocking antibodies in patients with melanoma. He led the landmark phase III registration trial for ipilimumab, which demonstrated the first survival advantage for patients with metastatic melanoma and led to FDA approval in 2011. This seminal work established the foundation for modern cancer immunotherapy, transforming the prognosis for advanced melanoma patients from a median survival of merely 6 to 18 months to potential long-term remission. Dr. Hodi also made significant contributions to the development of PD-1 inhibitors, helping lead the phase I study of nivolumab that demonstrated favorable overall survival results and durable tumor regression in patients with advanced melanoma. His research has catalyzed a paradigm shift in cancer treatment, moving from traditional chemotherapy to immunotherapy as a cornerstone of cancer care for multiple tumor types.
Dr. Hodi's transformative contributions have been recognized with his 2012 election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and his 2019 induction as a Giant of Cancer Care. He serves as a member of numerous prestigious professional societies including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer. As a founding member of the Society for Melanoma Research, he has played a critical role in shaping the research agenda and fostering collaboration within the melanoma community. His ongoing work continues to explore novel combinations of immunotherapies and targeted therapies, with a focus on identifying molecular biomarkers to personalize treatment approaches for patients with melanoma. Dr. Hodi remains at the forefront of immuno-oncology research, driving innovation that promises to further improve outcomes for patients with melanoma and other cancers worldwide.
