Published June 3, 2020
Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO began her term as the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s 57th president on June 1, 2020, making her ASCO’s first African American woman to hold this prestigious title. The desire to pursue a career in medicine took root when Dr. Pierce was a young child visiting family in segregated Ahoskie, North Carolina. She witnessed firsthand the impact the town’s lone African American family physician had on the community.
When it came time to choose a medical specialty, while attending Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Pierce was drawn to radiation oncology; it combined her dual interests in physics and biology and would give her the opportunity to spend time in the clinic treating patients with cancer. The experience led her to complete her residency and chief residency in radiation oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she subsequently made the decision to specialize in the treatment of breast cancer.
After completing her chief residency at the University of Pennsylvania in 1989, Dr. Pierce was appointed as a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, and, 2 years later, she joined the faculty of the University of Michigan. Today, Dr. Pierce is a professor of radiation oncology and vice provost for academic and faculty affairs at the University of Michigan and director of the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium.
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Related Resources:
- A Conversation With Dr. Lori J. Pierce on Her Plans to Improve Cancer Care Equity During Her ASCO Presidential Year, ASCO Connection, August 18, 2020
- Taking A Stand: A Conversation About Health Equity, ASCO Connection, October 29, 2020
- Responding To Racism and Health Equality As A Cancer Care Community, The ASCO Post, June 29, 2020
- Stand Up to Cancer & ASCO Experts Discuss The Importance of Health Equity In Cancer Care, Video, August 24, 2020
