LOS ANGELES– A nationally renowned medical leader, clinician and researcher in cancer and blood diseases, Alan S. Wayne, MD, has been appointed as the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Pediatrician-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).
Dr. Wayne will lead the implementation of the Department’s strategic and operating plans; recruitment, development and retention of faculty at CHLA; as well as oversee the hospital’s educational and research advancements, including those performed at The Saban Research Institute, CHLA’s freestanding research facility dedicated to finding new treatments and cures for the most complex childhood diseases. Dr. Wayne has also been appointed to CHLA’s Board of Directors.
Dr. Wayne was selected to lead the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School to further its standing as one of the top pediatric medical programs in the nation. As chair of Pediatrics, he oversees department faculty at CHLA and Los Angeles General Medical Center (formerly LAC+USC Medical Center) campuses. The positions were effective Sept. 1.
“Dr. Wayne has distinguished himself as a preeminent expert, clinician and researcher, developing new, lifesaving therapies in the treatment of pediatric cancer,” says CHLA President and CEO Paul S. Viviano. “In his new capacity as Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Pediatrician-in-Chief, Dr. Wayne will be counted on to lead CHLA’s strategic planning, research funding and clinical program growth, as well as fortify the institutional commitments to educational excellence and developing the next generation of pediatric specialists.”
Following an extensive national search, Dr. Wayne was selected to his new role with input from leaders across CHLA and the Keck School. He succeeds Robert Shaddy, MD, who recently retired as Pediatrician-in-Chief and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at CHLA, and from his position as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School. He had served in these positions since 2017. “I am honored to welcome Dr. Wayne to his new position as well as recognize the numerous contributions Dr. Shaddy delivered during his tenure at CHLA and the Keck School,” Viviano says.
In 2013, Dr. Wayne was recruited to CHLA to serve as Director of the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute and Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology, as well as Associate Director for Pediatric Oncology at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. In these roles, Dr. Wayne has overseen the clinical, research, education, and faculty recruitment and development activities in pediatric hematology, oncology, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy at CHLA and USC. Dr. Wayne’s leadership and contributions have helped CHLA’s Cancer and Blood Disease Institute rise to become the No. 3 pediatric cancer program in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 review of children’s hospitals and pediatric specialties.
Dr. Wayne is an expert clinician and clinical investigator with a focus on hematologic malignancies of childhood. His primary research efforts are directed toward the development of new treatment approaches for leukemias and lymphomas. He has been a leader in the development of genetically modified chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, a lifesaving and paradigm-changing treatment approach for pediatric cancer. Dr. Wayne’s leadership resulted in CHLA, the Keck School, Keck Medicine of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center partnering to develop and construct a Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) cell manufacturing facility that opened in January 2023. This partnership facilitated the awarding of a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) grant to establish a new Alpha Clinic to further the development of cell and gene therapies for the large and diverse populations served by CHLA and USC. Dr. Wayne also serves as the Medical Director of the Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia/Lymphoma (TACL) Consortium, a multinational clinical trials group headquartered at CHLA. He has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1999.
In addition to his clinical and research expertise, Dr. Wayne has demonstrated longstanding dedication to education and mentorship. He was the co-founding Director of the ACGME-accredited NIH/Johns Hopkins University Joint Fellowship Program in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, served as Director of CHLA’s ACGME-accredited pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship training program, and has received multiple training grants. Dr. Wayne has also worked to address critical issues in fellowship training at the national level through the American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology.
Dr. Wayne obtained his BS in Medicine and MD through the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University in Chicago. He completed internship, residency and chief residency in pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, followed by pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship training at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Prior to joining CHLA and USC, Dr. Wayne served at the National Cancer Institute within the Intramural NIH as Clinical Director of the Pediatric Oncology Branch. Additionally, he has held academic appointments at Harvard University School of Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-Board of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.
