Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD, Chief Scientific and Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President for Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was honored with a portrait on Jan. 14 in recognition of her 15 years of leadership as director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (2007-2022). The portrait was unveiled during a celebration event at the Annette and Irwin Eskind Family Biomedical Library and Learning Center.
During her tenure, Vanderbilt-Ingram experienced remarkable growth, including a 100% increase in research funding, a more than 30% rise in newly diagnosed or first-treated cancer patients, and a 160% expansion in inpatient visits. She successfully led the center through three consecutive renewals of its National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, each time earning exceptional merit ratings.
For the past eight years, Pietenpol — who holds the Brock Family Directorship in Career Development — has led VUMC’s scientific, technological and research strategy, overseeing a $940 million sponsored research portfolio that has grown 8-10% annually. She works closely with VUMC executive and senior leaders to develop and implement high-impact strategic initiatives across the institution.
Pietenpol earned her PhD in cell biology from Vanderbilt University in 1990 and, after completing a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, returned to Vanderbilt as a faculty member in 1994. Her research focuses on breast cancer and the p53 family signaling network. By integrating molecular genetics with bioinformatics analysis of high-dimensional genomic data, she has advanced the subtyping of triple-negative breast cancer, contributing to clinical breakthroughs for patients with this challenging disease.
A leader in national cancer research and policy, Pietenpol was a presidential appointee to the National Cancer Advisory Board for a six-year term and a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel advising former Vice President Biden’s National Cancer Moonshot. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy.