Candace S. Johnson

Candace S. Johnson, Ph.D. is an extraordinary woman with a fascinating and groundbreaking career. Having joined the faculty of Roswell Park Cancer Institute in February 2002, Dr. Johnson is currently the Institute’s 15th President and CEO, the first female leader for this 118-year-old comprehensive cancer center. She holds the Wallace Family Chair in Translational Research and is a Professor of Oncology. 

Prior to her appointment as RPCI President & CEO, Dr. Johnson worked tirelessly as Deputy Director of the Institute and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, facilitating the seamless bench-to-bedside development and delivery of promising new cancer therapies. 

Driven by her passion for learning and a desire to share her knowledge, Dr. Johnson earned her Doctorate in Immunology from Ohio State University, Columbus. She completed research and postdoctoral fellowships in Immunology/Cell Biology at the Michigan Cancer Foundation, Detroit. 

Dr. Johnson has done translational research to facilitate the efficient application of promising laboratory findings in clinical studies, and preclinical design and development of more effective therapeutic approaches to cancer. This amazing work and Dr. Johnson’s dedication to her craft has been an inspiration to many others. 

Active in her community, Dr. Johnson is a member of the National Institutes of Health Reviewers Reserve, the National Cancer Institute Review Group Subcommittee and the Experimental Therapeutics Study Section. She has authored or coauthored nearly 200 journal publications, book chapters and abstracts, and has been issued patents on the “Use of Pretreatment Chemicals to Enhance Efficacy of Cytotoxic Agents” and “Endothelial Specific Targeting.” 

Motivating and inspiring with her relentless dedication to research, Dr. Johnson is a prominent and influential figure deserving of recognition and gratitude.