Selwyn M. Vickers

Vickers, a pioneering researcher and surgeon specializing in pancreatic cancer, was named to Sloan Kettering’s top spot in September 2022 — making him the first African American to head the renowned cancer center. A key part of his vision lies in improving early access to health care for people who historically have had difficulty getting it. Earlier treatment and screening will not only improve their outcomes, he says, but also could save the health care system billions of dollars each year by avoiding expensive treatments for cancer patients whose disease would have worsened. Vickers believes MSK can leverage its leading position in research to move findings from the lab to the clinic much more quickly — helping everybody in the process.