The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) welcomes Cheryl Taylore Lee, MD, as chair of the Department of Urology. She is the first woman to lead the department at Ohio State, and one of only a handful of women nationally to chair a department of urology.
Lee built her prestigious career at the University of Michigan, where she was the Dr. Robert H. and Eva M. Moyad Research Professor of Urology. As a member of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, she cared primarily for patients with bladder cancer. She received her medical degree from Albany Medical College, completed a residency at the University of Michigan Hospitals and a fellowship in urologic oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
An incredibly accomplished researcher who is focused on improving patient outcomes and quality of life following surgical treatment, Lee has served as principal investigator, co-principal investigator, site principal investigator or co-investigator for 50 clinical research trials. She is an avid patient advocate through the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network and the American Cancer Society, as well as a teacher and mentor through her service to the American Board of Urology and the Education Council of the American Urological Association.
At Ohio State, Lee holds the Dorothy M. Davis Chair in Cancer Research, established in 1996 by the William H. Davis, Dorothy M. Davis and William C. Davis Foundation. The chair is named for Ms. Davis, the late philanthropist and longtime supporter of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
William D. (Bill) Wells, chairman and president of the Davis Foundation, believes his aunt would have admired Dr. Lee. “My aunt was a forward-thinking person, and with Dr. Lee coming on board, she would be proud. In her lifetime, she was really happy with the chair and the accomplishments of its holders. She would be thrilled knowing she assisted in getting someone like Dr. Lee to bring her knowledge and expertise to The Ohio State University.”
Endowed chairs and the philanthropists who create them draw top talent like Dr. Lee to Ohio State, providing funding that allows the chair holder to take advantage of research, travel or other opportunities to advance the impact of their teaching and/or research. For philanthropists, notes Wells, endowed chairs are a worthy investment.
“Chairs in any department assist colleges in getting the best person available,” he explains. “If you want to get the best ‘bang’ for your gift, naming a chair is the best return not only for the donor, but for the college as well.”