Boris Bastian Named Chair of the Department of Pathology

Physician-scientist Boris C. Bastian joined Memorial Sloan Kettering as Attending Physician and Chair of the Department of Pathology on April 1. A world leader in research on melanoma, Dr. Bastian is also a member of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program and the incumbent of the James Ewing Alumni Chair of Pathology.

“Dr. Bastian is an exemplary physician-scientist whose molecular research discoveries have direct clinical relevance,” said Robert E. Wittes, Physician-in-Chief of Memorial Hospital. “His expertise will be extremely valuable to the continuing evolution of cancer pathology at Memorial Sloan Kettering.”

Dr. Bastian comes to the Center from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he led the Cuta-neous Oncology Program and founded and co-directed the Center of Molecular Oncology. He had served at UCSF since 1999, with various appointments in its dermatology and pathology departments, and in the UCSF Melanoma Center.

Research in Dr. Bastian’s laboratory is focused on identifying genetic changes that occur in skin lesions and exploring how such alterations can be employed in the treatment and diagnosis of melanoma. The laboratory’s findings have led to a better understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms that underlie the disease and to the development of new diagnostics tools, which today have an important role in clinical decision making.

Dr. Bastian earned his MD degree and a PhD degree in medical sciences from the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, and subsequently completed his residency in dermatology at the University of Wurzburg, in Germany. He trained at UCSF as a postdoctoral research fellow and as a visiting scholar in dermatopathology before joining its faculty.

A committed educator, Dr. Bastian has lectured around the world and trained medical students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows. He currently serves as the President-Elect of the Society for Melanoma Research.