[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Levine_Mark.jpg” caption=”Dr. Mark Levine, a professor in the Departments of Oncology and Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has been appointed chair of the Department of Oncology. Photo courtesy of FHS.”]Dr. Mark Levine, a McMaster researcher renowned for his work in breast cancer, has been appointed chair of the Department of Oncology in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Levine is a professor in the Departments of Oncology and Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and holds the Buffett Taylor Chair in Breast Cancer Research at McMaster University. He is a past recipient of the O. Harold Warwick Prize (1999) from the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

Levine received his medical degree from McGill University and completed his residency in internal medicine at McMaster. He completed his training in hematology and oncology at Duke University Medical Centre in Durham, North Carolina. In addition, Levine earned a master's degree in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics from McMaster.

Levine joined the Faculty of Health Sciences and became a medical oncologist at the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre (now known as the Juravinski Cancer Centre – Hamilton Health Sciences) in 1982. He was CEO of the Cancer Centre from 1992 to 1999.

Over the past 25 years, he has been an active researcher in clinical trials and health services research. His focus is in the areas of breast cancer and venous thromboembolism. Numerous clinical trials he has conducted have impacted health care in Canada and internationally. He helped establish the Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG) in 1982.

Levine has more than 220 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has brought much research funding to McMaster. He is director of the Clinical Trials Methodology Group (CTMG) of the Henderson Research Centre, and was chairman of Health Canada's Steering Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Care and Treatment of Breast Cancer. He is currently an associate editor for the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Levine takes over the role of chair from Dr. Bill Evans, who has been serving as acting chair since April 1, 2006.

The Department of Oncology was launched last year to enhance McMaster's strength in cancer research and education and facilitate laboratory-based and clinical research interactions across departments, schools and faculties.