BRONX, N.Y., October 15, 2026. Ulrich Steidl, M.D., Ph.D. , has finalized his Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) senior leadership team, just six months after stepping into the role of MECCC Director and Vice President of Cancer Medicine at Montefiore Einstein.
“Today marks a new chapter as we elevate elite colleagues who have significant research accomplishments and leadership experience to principal posts at MECCC,” said Dr. Steidl. “They are recognized “all-stars” in their fields, and together, working at one of the nation’s top cancer centers, we will move the needle in not just helping people survive advanced cancers but identifying the factors that drive certain cancers from occurring in the first place.”
“All-Stars” in Cancer Research & Familiar Faces to the Bronx Community
Community Engagement at the Forefront
Dr. Steidl and his team have also developed a senior leadership position to strengthen research on associations between environmental exposures, health related social needs, and cancer health outcomes. H. Dean Hosgood, Ph.D. , Co-Leader of MECCC’s Cancer Epidemiology Prevention & Control Program and now Associate Director for Population and Community Sciences has been appointed to lead this effort. Dr. Hosgood is formally trained in environmental epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, and molecular epidemiology. He currently leads a global consortium to investigate how indoor air pollutants—caused from the burning of coal or wood for heating and cooking—are associated with lung cancer mortality and result in an increased risk for other cancers. His research on the interactions between genetics and environmental exposures have appeared in more than 250 peer-reviewed publications.
Rounding out the impressive list, Wenjun Guo, Ph.D. , will now serve as Co-Leader of the Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis program, alongside Maja H. Oktay, M.D., Ph.D. , and Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso, Ph.D. Aditi Shastri, M.D. , has joined Steven Almo, Ph.D. , and Evripidis Gavathiotis, Ph.D. , as co-leader of MECCC’s Cancer Therapeutics Program, developing precision drugs and cellular therapies.
For more than 50 years, MECCC has been at the forefront of care and community engagement with novel research and transdisciplinary initiatives, including its Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis , Stem Cell and Cancer Biology , Cancer Therapeutics , and Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention and Control programs. MECCC patients also benefit from services like its nationally lauded Bronx Oncology Living Daily program which supports patients and families impacted by cancer through peer navigators as well as wellness workshops like yoga, reiki, and creative arts.
About Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and a national leader in cancer research and care located in the Bronx, N.Y. MECCC combines the exceptional science of Albert Einstein College of Medicine with the multidisciplinary and team-based approach to cancer clinical care at Montefiore Health System. Founded in 1971 and an NCI-designated cancer center since 1972, MECCC is redefining excellence in cancer research, clinical care, education and training, and community outreach and engagement. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cancer for all.