Dr. Lisa DeAngelis is a world-renowned neuro-oncologist and former Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she served with distinction for over three decades. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Wellesley College and completed her medical degree at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1980. Following her neurology residency at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, she completed a neuro-oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering under the mentorship of Dr. Jerome Posner. Dr. DeAngelis joined the MSKCC faculty after her fellowship training and was appointed Chair of the Department of Neurology in 1997, a position she held with exceptional leadership for many years before ascending to the role of Physician-in-Chief in 2019.
Dr. DeAngelis has made seminal contributions to the field of neuro-oncology through her pioneering research on primary brain tumors and neurological complications of cancer treatment. She developed the current standard regimen for treating primary central nervous system lymphoma, setting the therapeutic benchmark that has improved patient outcomes worldwide. Her leadership in national clinical trials of investigational drugs for brain tumors has established new treatment paradigms and generated critical evidence for the neuro-oncology community. Dr. DeAngelis co-founded MSK's Brain Tumor Center, creating a multidisciplinary hub that has accelerated the translation of basic science discoveries into clinical applications. Her research continues to influence treatment guidelines and therapeutic approaches for patients with central nervous system malignancies.
Recognized for her extraordinary contributions, Dr. DeAngelis was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and received the American Academy of Neurology's highest honor, the Wartenberg Lecture Award, in 2019. She was further honored with Oligo Nation's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 and recognition in Crain's New York Business' Notable in Healthcare List for her visionary leadership during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. DeAngelis co-established Break Through Cancer, a foundation dedicated to accelerating collaborative research and clinical trials for the deadliest cancers, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to transforming cancer care. While now serving as an emeritus member of the Department of Neurology, she remains an influential voice in neuro-oncology, advocating for advances in immuno-oncology, precision medicine, and innovative treatment approaches that harness the body's immune system to fight cancer.
