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Adam Marcus to serve as interim vice president for research in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University
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Headshot of Adam Marcus

Adam Marcus, PhD

Adam Marcus, PhD, will serve as the interim vice president for research in Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) when Dr. David S. Stephens steps in as interim executive vice president of health affairs of Emory University. Marcus currently is a Winship 5K Research Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology and is the deputy director for the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Within the Emory School of Medicine, Marcus serves as the interim associate dean for Novel Technology and Research Cores, which is aligned with his current role as associate vice president for research in the WHSC. He will begin his appointment on Sept. 1, 2022.

As interim vice president of research, Marcus will oversee multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research throughout WHSC and Emory University, develop innovative research initiatives and identify international research collaborations and opportunities. He will also work to enhance partnerships across Emory and among local, regional, national and international organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Veterans Administration, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“Dr. Marcus is an outstanding researcher who exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship that will be critical for continuing to advance the research enterprise across the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Emory University,” says Dr. Stephens. “Under Dr. Marcus’ direction and leadership, Emory’s high-impact research will work to address real-world issues and uncover breakthroughs that aim to improve health outcomes, cure diseases, and save lives.”

Marcus joined the Winship Cancer Institute in 2005 after completing his post-doctoral training at the Emory University School of Medicine. Since 2006, he has served in a variety of leadership positions including scientific director of the Emory Integrated Cell Imaging Core (ICI), a jointly managed shared resource of Winship Cancer Institute and Emory University School of Medicine. Marcus also leads an NIH funded laboratory focused on cancer metastasis and serves as the co-director of Citizen Science HD, which aims to increase underrepresented minority participation in STEM, with a focus on middle-school students.

In July 2021, Marcus was named deputy director for the Winship Cancer Institute. He served as the interim executive director earlier that year while a national search was underway to select Winship’s next executive director. In his various leadership roles at Winship, Marcus has led the integration of research, clinical and educational components throughout the organization while also providing oversight of the current Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) planning process. He contributed to Winship’s successful CCSG submissions in 2011 and 2016 and was previously the associate director of basic research and shared resources.

“I am honored to accept this role and excited to work alongside such a dedicated faculty and staff,” says Marcus. “As a leading academic research institution, the Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University continues to change the future of health and medicine, and I am committed to prioritizing innovation and discovery as the driving force behind our work.”

Marcus assumes leadership of one of the highest-funded research enterprises in the country, with units in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center receiving more than $847 million in extramural funding in 2021. The majority of research funding in the previous fiscal year came from federal agencies including the NIH and CDC, which tapped into Emory’s long and deep expertise in infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, cancer, and the neurosciences.  

Prior to completing his post-doctoral fellowship at Emory, Marcus earned a PhD in Biology from Pennsylvania State University.


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