Vivek Subbiah, MD, Joins SCRI to Advance Early-Phase Clinical Research

May 11, 2023 |

5 min read

Sarah Cannon Research Institute, one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations conducting clinical trials, is pleased to announce that Vivek Subbiah, MD, has joined the organization as Chief, Early-Phase Drug Development.

Dr. Vivek Subbiah to Serve as Chief, Early-Phase Drug Development Across SCRI’s Research Network

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations conducting clinical trials, is pleased to announce that Vivek Subbiah, MD, has joined the organization as Chief, Early-Phase Drug Development. In his role, Dr. Subbiah will oversee SCRI’s nine drug development units and lead the expansion of early-phase capabilities and programs across the organization’s growing research network of more than 1,300 physicians at more than 250 locations in 24 states.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005205/en/

Dr. Vivek Subbiah, Chief, Early-Phase Drug Development, SCRI (Photo: Business Wire)

A transformative and experienced leader in cancer clinical trial design and implementation, Dr. Subbiah comes to SCRI from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (A Phase I Program). During his near 15-year tenure there, Dr. Subbiah held several leadership roles including Executive Director, Medical Oncology Research, MD Anderson Cancer Network as well as Clinical Medical Director, Division of Cancer Medicine where he oversaw both the outpatient and inpatient clinical care delivery operations for the Phase I program.

“Vivek is a globally recognized key opinion leader for precision medicine and early-phase research,” said Howard A. “Skip” Burris, III, MD, President, SCRI. “His role in leading many drugs to FDA approval including developing tumor agnostic approaches to target mutations like RET and BRAF are now benefiting countless patient populations. We look forward to the impact he will continue to make in drug development in his new role at SCRI.”

Dr. Subbiah has served as the Principal Investigator in over 100 phase I/II trials and co-investigator in over 200 clinical trials and is known for his leadership in several first-in-human and practice-changing studies that directly led to approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and other agencies across the world. Furthermore, he has an exceptional track record of effectively bringing together multidisciplinary clinical trials teams, early career physician investigators, and physicians in training, all with the shared commitment to bringing novel therapies to patients with cancer. Having trained in both pediatric hematology & oncology as well as adult medical oncology, Dr. Subbiah is uniquely positioned to bring cutting-edge therapeutics across the age continuum from adolescent/young adults (AYAs) to older adults with cancer.

“It is an exciting time to be in oncology. We are at the cusp of the next generation of personalized medicine that requires rapid and effective patient access to clinical trials,” said Dr. Subbiah. “SCRI’s unparalleled reach across the US and UK, along with an agile organizational culture, will help us to accelerate progress against cancer. With a national network of remarkable oncology physicians, clinical teams, molecular profiling talent and technology, patients across the country can access innovative and personalized cancer treatments in their own backyard.”

SCRI has played a pivotal role in cancer drug development, having conducted more than 650 first-in-human clinical trials since its inception and contributed to research that has led to the majority of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA in the last three decades. While Dr. Subbiah will be based in Nashville, TN, he will focus on expanding early-phase drug development programs across SCRI’s entire network.

Dr. Subbiah has authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications in several high-impact journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, JAMA Oncology, Cancer Discovery, Lancet Oncology, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, and Clinical Cancer Research. He is on the editorial board of prestigious journals and is a member of the ESMO Precision Oncology Working group. He is the recipient of two NIH R01 funding awards and has received many awards including Andrew Sabin Family fellowship for 2021-2022 and The Emil Frei III Award for Translational Research in 2021.

After finishing his medical education in India, Dr. Subbiah completed a combined residency program in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth, Cleveland, Ohio. He received board-certifications in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and has completed fellowships in both Adult and Pediatric Oncology at MD Anderson.

About SCRI

Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) is one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials. In 2022, SCRI formed a joint venture with former US Oncology Research to enhance clinical trial access and availability across the country. Focused on advancing therapies for patients over the last three decades, SCRI is a leader in drug development. It has conducted more than 650 first-in-human clinical trials since its inception and contributed to pivotal research that has led to the majority of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA today. The combined research network brings together more than 1,300 physicians who are actively accruing patients to clinical trials at more than 250 locations in 24 states across the US. Please click here to learn more about our research offerings.