The Associate Director for Clinical Investigations is appointed by and reports to the Director of the Cancer Center. The position is responsible for (1) development and oversight of the Cancer Center's clinical trials affiliate network, (2) chairing the Cancer Center's Clinical Trial Protocol Review and Monitoring System, (3) serving as the institutional Board representative to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and (4) serving as liaison to the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare CCOP. The Associate Director for Clinical Investigations is also the Principal Investigator for the Cancer Center's Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Grant. The Associate Director is a member of the Executive Committee and Leadership Group, and thus is a key contributor to setting strategic direction, policy and priorities for the Cancer Center.

Al B. Benson III, MD is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. He earned his MD degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo, following which he completed an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals. He was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois and Co-Medical Director for the National Public Health Service in Champaign, Illinois. He then served as a Clinical Oncology Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center, where he received an American Cancer Society Fellowship Award, prior to joining the faculty at Northwestern. Dr. Benson has served on a number of committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and is currently a member of the Task Force on Quality of Cancer Care, the Program and Education Committees (Chair of the Colorectal/Liver tract), and the Co-Chair of both ASCO's Colorectal Cancer Guidelines Subcommittee and the Stage II Colon Cancer Guidelines Panel. He is also the Chair of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Gastrointestinal and Data Monitoring Committees. In addition, he is a member of several medical societies, and serves as Immediate Past President of the Illinois Medical Oncology Society, a Trustee for the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr. Benson's research is primarily in the areas of gastrointestinal cancer clinical trials, cancer clinical trials, biologic therapies, phase I cancer clinical trials and cancer guideline development. He has authored or co-authored numerous reports, reviews and book chapters focusing on these topics. His research in biologics, cancer therapy, and cancer prevention has been awarded funding from a variety of sources including the NIH. Dr. Benson has been honored with several awards, including the Easter Cooperative Oncology Group's Young Investigator Award.

The position of Associate Director for Clinical Investigations was established in April, 2003 primarily in response to the growing needs of the Cancer Center's affiliate network and NCCN relationship. While the position contributes to the overall clinical research mission, no CCSG support is requested.

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