Professorship established in memory of Mr. Ingram will support Dr. Reuland’s research related to cancer screening and early detection.
Dan Reuland, MD, MPH, program founder and co-director for UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Carolina Cancer Screening Initiative, and one of the nation’s leading experts in cancer screening research and implementation, has been awarded the Robert A. Ingram Distinguished Professorship. This distinguished professorship, named in memory of the late Mr. Ingram, was established through a philanthropic gift from Dr. James H. Goodnight and the Goodnight Educational Fund.
“Bob Ingram committed his amazing career to making progress in the fight against cancer,” Dr. Goodnight said. “This professorship will allow Dr. Reuland to continue and expand his research in the early diagnosis of cancer.”
Ingram was a leader in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, serving as chairman and CEO of GlaxoWellcome from 1995 to 2002. At the request of President George H.W. Bush, Ingram formed and chaired the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. In 2006, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Advisory Board.
“It is a wonderful honor to carry forward what Mr. Ingram cared about so passionately,” Dr. Reuland said. “My colleagues and I are incredibly grateful for the support of Dr. Goodnight. This will give us the ability to move forward and accelerate work that we believe is important to North Carolinians and to cancer control in general.”
Dr. Reuland’s primary research focus is in applied translational research studying how to improve the delivery of guideline-recommended cancer screening in healthcare and public health practice. In recent years, he has led a study funded by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Moonshot program testing a colorectal cancer screening intervention in North Carolina Federally Qualified Health Centers. He also participates in multi-disciplinary efforts to study, develop, and evaluate policies and processes for implementing lung cancer screening in health systems, including UNC Health.
Recently, Dr. Reuland and UNC Lineberger colleagues were selected by the NIH as one of eight research teams nationally to lead the new NCI Cancer Screening Research Network (CSRN) to evaluate new technologies to screen for cancer. The CSRN will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative and its goals of improving early detection of cancer and reducing cancer inequities.
“The work happening every day at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is making a real difference for all North Carolinians,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Interim Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “What Dr. Reuland and his team are doing in the areas of cancer screening and early detection will save lives in our state, and I am grateful to Dr. Goodnight for this generous show of support.”
“Dr. Reuland is an outstanding researcher and a dedicated leader in cancer prevention and control here in North Carolina,” said Wesley Burks, MD, dean of the UNC School of Medicine, and CEO of UNC Health. “He is incredibly deserving of this honor of a distinguished professorship, and it is a fitting tribute to Bob Ingram and his legacy. We are also grateful for the support of Dr. Goodnight and his passion for improving cancer outcomes in our state.”
“UNC Lineberger has a rich history of leading the way in innovative cancer research,” said Shelton Earp, MD, UNC Lineberger director. “Dr. Reuland is a shining example of that commitment to advancing science to benefit the people of North Carolina.”