Dr. Eric Rubin
Advisor
Dr. Rubin has focused on cancer drug development for over 30 years, initially as a faculty member at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, then as a senior leader of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, where he served as the Director of the Investigational Therapeutics Division of that institution. His research efforts focused on mechanisms of resistance to DNA topoisomerase-targeting drugs. In 2008 he was recruited to Merck to lead the clinical oncology development team. Under his leadership, the clinical oncology group underwent a transformational change to realize the potential of cancer immunotherapy. He led the initial development of the anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab, which was the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved in the U.S., and in the identification of the significant activity of this breakthrough therapeutic across several cancer types. In 2014 Dr. Rubin assumed leadership of Oncology Early Development for Merck, and in this role he oversaw development of the early oncology pipeline, as well as translational oncology research activities. He retired from Merck in 2024 as Senior Vice President, Early Oncology Development.
Dr. Rubin has authored over 100 original, peer-reviewed publications and book chapters related to oncology translational research, clinical trials, and drug development. He served frequently as a member of National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society study sections, as well as on program committees for the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He was a co-chair of the Cancer Steering Committee of the Biomarkers Consortium, Foundation of the National Institute of Health, a member of the Science Policy and Governmental Affairs Committee for AACR, and was a member of the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative/Blue Ribbon Panel Working Group on Expanding Clinical Trials.
