Ohio State hires cancer researcher from Georgetown University

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center has hired a new deputy director, a top cancer researcher from Georgetown University.

Dr. Peter Shields‘s primary research focus has been in identifying biomarkers that can be used to assess breast and lung cancer risks, particularly those related to diet, smoking and lifestyle, according to a statement from the Ohio State University Medical Center. A biomarker is a protein found in the blood that can indicate the presence or severity of a certain disease.

“The more markers we identify, the more aggressive screening and monitoring we can do for people with those markers, and we can also focus better our behavioral interventions and chemoprevention,” Shields said.

Shields was recently named the president of the American Society of Preventive Oncology and has published more than 180 studies.

At OSU, he’ll oversee the cancer center’s research program, which includes more than 270 cancer researchers from 11 of OSU’s 14 colleges.

In addition to the deputy director role, Shields will also be a professor in OSU’s department of internal medicine.

At Georgetown, Shields was deputy director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.