Diane M. Simeone, MD

At Perlmutter Cancer Center, one of our major goals is to advance the detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer to transform the landscape of this disease and improve survival rates. We will meet our goal only by fully leveraging our collective research and clinical expertise and creating a continuum between groundbreaking scientific discoveries and positive impacts on the lives of patients.

As director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center, I lead a premier clinical team of experts who seek to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art care for patients who have pancreatic tumors and individuals at higher risk for the disease. I also lead clinical trials and study the molecular processes in pancreatic cancer development, working toward identifying ways to detect cancer early and creating new therapies to improve survival.

As associate director of translational research at Perlmutter Cancer Center, I strive to bring what we learn in the lab directly to the bedside to help manage all types of cancer. The past decades have seen several advances in cancer biology and genomics, and I believe that we have a tremendous opportunity—and an obligation—to channel this progress to impact patients.

I have published more than 170 studies in leading peer-reviewed journals and currently serve as the chair of the scientific and medical advisory board of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and a member of the scientific advisory board for Let’s Win (Sharing Science Solutions for Pancreatic Cancer). I have previously served as the president of the Society of University Surgeons and the American Pancreatic Association. I am a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Cancer Institute’s Pancreatic Cancer Task Force. I am currently serving as the principal investigator and lead of Precision Promise, an exciting new national clinical trials consortium focused on next-generation clinical trials for people who have pancreatic cancer.

I have been named one of Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors^® and Exceptional Women in Medicine for many years. I was also named one of New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors in New York” in 2021 and 2018.