Lisa Kachnic, MD, a former American Board of Radiology president, one of the nation’s leading radiation oncologists and a pioneer of new approaches to optimize the effectiveness of radiation therapy, has been named chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and chief of the radiation oncology service at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, effective September 1. She will also serve as associate director for cancer network strategy in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Kachnic is professor and chair of the department of radiation oncology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She previously served on the radiation oncology faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University School of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). A member of the ABR Board of Governors, Dr. Kachnic is internationally known for her clinical trial leadership positions in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and its cooperative group research bases. She is widely recognized for gastrointestinal research that has transformed the standard of care for several cancers by integrating novel radiation delivery techniques. She is vice chair of the radiation oncology committee and co-chair of the ano-rectal subcommittee for the SWOG Cancer Research Network research base, where she serves as the multi-modality executive officer. Dr. Kachnic is also the chair of the NRG Oncology (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and the Gynecological Oncology Group) NCI Community Oncology Research Program’s Cancer Control and Prevention Division, and is actively involved in NRG Oncology’s GI strategic committee. In addition to her strong research portfolio and national leadership profile, Dr. Kachnic is also recognized by her peers for her history of mentoring colleagues and junior faculty. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and chairs the scientific committee for ASTRO’s annual meeting. Dr. Kachnic earned an undergraduate degree from Boston College and a medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in radiation oncology at Harvard University, her last year as chief resident.