Karen E. Knudsen was named CEO of the American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Knudsen is the executive vice president of Oncology Services and enterprise director for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, a member of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors, president of the Association of American Cancer Institutes, and a member of the board of directors for the American Association of Cancer Research.

She will take over as the ACS CEO on June 1, replacing Gary Reedy, who is leaving after having headed the society since 2015 (The Cancer Letter, Aug. 7, 2020).

The appointment was announced April 12.

Knudsen is the first woman CEO to lead the 107-year-old organization. She is also the first basic scientist and the first director of a cancer center to hold this job. An NCI-funded investigator, Knudsen holds a PhD in biological sciences from the University of San Diego and an MBA from Temple University Fox School of Business.