About Clinical Research

Nobel Award-winning physician Dr. E. Donnall Thomas served as Fred Hutch’s founding director. His pioneering discoveries in bone marrow transplantation transformed the care of patients with leukemia and other blood cancers. Where once these diseases were virtually incurable, survival rates are now as high as 90 percent.

Thomas’s visionary leadership forged our values of bold creativity and excellence in patient care and laboratory research. His lasting legacy persists in our relentless efforts to find a cure for cancer and other debilitating diseases.

Dr. John Hansen came to Fred Hutch in 1977 when the institute was still in its infancy. Working initially with E. Donnall Thomas, he went on to make significant, lasting contributions to cancer treatment in his own right. Key discoveries from his laboratory helped researchers understand the genetic factors that dictate whether transplants are likely to succeed or fail. He was also instrumental in creating the first-of-its-kind National Marrow Donor Program in the US.

Additionally, Hansen began collections of specimens and data that have been crucial resources for countless cancer researchers worldwide. The registries and collections he established will have lasting impact on the field of cancer research well into the future. 

World-renowned cancer expert Dr. Frederick R. Appelbaum served as senior vice president and director of the Clinical Research Division at the Hutch for two decades. He was also president of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance from 1998 until December 2016.

Appelbaum was instrumental in discovering autologous bone marrow transplantation, now used in over 30,000 patients annually. Recruited to the Hutch in the 1970s, he led the key clinical trials that defined the role of transplantation in the treatment of blood cancers like acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He was also critical in developing the first monoclonal antibody approved by the FDA to treat AML, known commercially as Mylotarg.

Appelbaum went on to found important national clinical trials networks, including the federally funded Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network. In September 2013, he was appointed to executive vice president and deputy director of Fred Hutch. 

Dr. Oliver Press served as interim director of Fred Hutch’s Clinical Research Division for three years. A distinguished researcher and leader in his field, he was best known for his impact on the development of radioimmunotherapies. These therapies direct high-powered radiation straight to tumors using cancer-targeting antibodies.

Press had an international reputation as a researcher and clinician, and held a variety of leadership roles in his field. Committed to scientific excellence as well as to extraordinary patient care, he was also known for his dedicated mentorship of younger investigators.