UT Health San Antonio appoints alumnus as new executive director of Mays Cancer Center

Lei Zheng, MD, PhD, alumnus of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), has been appointed executive director of Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio and vice president for oncology for the health science center, effective Sept. 1, 2024.

Zheng will also be named the Mays Family Foundation Distinguished University Presidential Chair of Oncology and appointed as a professor with tenure in the Department of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio’s Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.

“As the newly appointed executive director of the Mays Cancer Center, Dr. Lei Zheng’s leadership and commitment to excellence in cancer care will elevate our mission to decrease the burden of cancer in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond,” said Robert Hromas, MD, FACP, acting president at UT Health San Antonio. “We look forward to seeing impactful advancements and continued compassionate care under Dr. Zheng’s guidance.”

Zheng comes to Mays Cancer Center after leading the Pancreatic Cancer Precision Medicine Center of Excellence Program at Johns Hopkins University. There, he established a pancreatic cancer immunotherapy research program and several preclinical models of pancreatic cancer for developing innovative immunotherapy strategies.

At Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Zheng was a professor of oncology and surgery, associate cancer center director of precision medicine for the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC), and director of the Multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Cancer Laboratories Program and assistant cancer center director of translational research at SKCCC.

“An esteemed alumnus of UT Health San Antonio, Dr. Zheng is one of the world’s leading pancreatic cancer medical oncologists and researchers,” said Francisco Cigarroa, MD, acting dean at Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, professor of surgery and director of Alvarez Transplant Center at UT Health San Antonio. “Dr. Zheng’s leadership will bring a new chapter of innovation.”

Zheng received his medical degree from Peking Union Medical College in China. At UT Health San Antonio, he received his doctorate in Molecular Medicine and completed his postdoctoral research fellowship in Molecular Medicine. Zheng also completed his postdoctoral research fellowship in biochemistry and molecular biology at Rockefeller University, his internal medicine residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (now Northwell Health and Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell) and his medical oncology fellowship training at Johns Hopkins.

Patient care and research are at the forefront of Zheng’s goals. He plans to continue enhancing the multidisciplinary cancer care programs at Mays Cancer Center, investing in groundbreaking research to advance drug discovery and innovation, and strengthening our community outreach to expand across the South Texas region.

“I am looking forward to stepping into my new role as executive director of Mays Cancer Center and working alongside an exceptional team,” said Zheng. “Together, we will continue to build on the Cancer Center’s legacy of excellence, forge new paths in cancer care and the meaningful work we do for the community.”

The Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, is one of only four National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Centers in Texas. The Mays Cancer Center provides leading-edge cancer care, propels innovative cancer research and educates the next generation of leaders to end cancer in South Texas. To learn more, visit  www.UTHealthSAMDAnderson.org.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, graduate biomedical sciences and public health have graduated more than 43,886 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.

Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.