Today, Sarah Cannon announced the promotion of Johanna C. Bendell, MD, to Chief Development Officer. In her new role, Dr. Bendell will work to further develop and expand physician, site and Pharma relationships across the Sarah Cannon network, enhancing the organization’s collaborative efforts to bring cutting-edge treatments to patients close to home.

“As a patient-centric, physician-led research institute, it is important to capitalize on Johanna’s expertise and experience to further our mission of advancing therapies for patients,” said Howard A. “Skip” Burris III, MD, President of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer for Sarah Cannon. “Under her leadership, we look forward to continuing to enhance access to the latest treatments for people facing cancer in communities across the U.S. and UK.”

Since joining Sarah Cannon in 2008, Dr. Bendell has served as Director of the GI Cancer Research Program and Associate Director of the Drug Development Program at Sarah Cannon Research Institute. In this role, Dr. Bendell oversees the clinical trial offerings for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers across the Sarah Cannon network and works closely with partners on clinical trial design. Her work in early drug development has helped guide first-in-man agents through proof-of-concept studies. In her new role, Dr. Bendell will continue to work in drug development and lead Sarah Cannon’s GI cancer research efforts.

“Dr. Bendell’s global reputation as a thought leader in GI cancer research and drug development coupled with her extensive network of Pharma and physician relationships make her an ideal candidate for this role,” explained Dee Anna Smith, Chief Executive Officer for Sarah Cannon.

As Chief Development Officer, Dr. Bendell will work closely with the leaders of Sarah Cannon Development Innovations, the organization’s CRO, and clinical operations teams to provide additional, experienced physician leadership to these lines of business.

Dr. Bendell received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Chicago. She completed her internship and residency in the Department of Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and her fellowship in adult oncology at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is board certified in medical oncology.

Dr. Bendell will officially begin her position in January 2018 at Sarah Cannon headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. She will continue to care for patients as an associate with Tennessee Oncology, PLLC.

About Sarah Cannon Research Institute

Sarah Cannon Research Institute is the research arm of HCA Healthcare’s global cancer institute, Sarah Cannon. Focused on advancing therapies for patients, it is one of the world’s leading clinical research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials throughout the United States and United Kingdom. Sarah Cannon’s network of strategic sites includes more than 275 physicians who engage in research. The organization has led more than 300 first-in-man clinical trials since its inception in 1993, and has been a clinical trial leader in the majority of approved cancer therapies over the last 10 years. Additionally, Sarah Cannon offers management, regulatory, and other research support services for drug development and industry sponsors as well as strategic investigator sites through its contract research organization (CRO), Sarah Cannon Development Innovations. For more information, visit sarahcannon.com.