Beckerle Steps Down After 20 Years of Distinguished Service as CEO
, announced today she will step down as CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute at the (the U) effective September 1, 2025. Beckerle has held the role of CEO since 2006.
Under Beckerle鈥檚 leadership, Huntsman Cancer Institute became the region鈥檚 only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and advanced extraordinary growth in infrastructure, national reputation, cancer discovery, and clinical expertise to communities across the Mountain West.
鈥淭hrough the visionary guidance of Dr. Beckerle, Huntsman Cancer Institute was propelled to international prominence in cancer research, care, and community impact,鈥 said , president of the U. 鈥淪he has marshaled every aspect of Huntsman Cancer Institute to advance the audacious goal of Jon M. Huntsman: to eradicate cancer from the face of the earth. We are deeply grateful for Dr. Beckerle鈥檚 extraordinary service and direction. As we look to the future, we do so with full confidence that Huntsman Cancer Institute will continue to thrive鈥攇uided by the strength and focus of its inspiring mission and energized by the leadership that will carry its vision forward.鈥
From Researcher to CEO
The U announced that distinguished cancer cell biologist , head of academic affairs at Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor of oncological sciences at the U, will serve as the next CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute. Cairns has been a member of Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 leadership team for 15 years, and like Beckerle, has been with the organization since its founding.
鈥淒r. Beckerle鈥檚 personal motto is 鈥榯empo鈥欌攁 call for everyone at Huntsman Cancer Institute to move rapidly forward in advancing cancer discovery and care, understanding that patients are urgently counting on each of us,鈥 said Bob Carter, MD, PhD, senior vice president for health sciences at the U. 鈥淚 am thrilled that Dr. Cairns has accepted our invitation to become Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 next CEO. He is so deeply embedded in every aspect of its success since it opened its doors, bringing innovative and steady leadership along with a commitment to the 鈥榯empo鈥 required to deliver rapid progress and advance Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 mission at the University of Utah.鈥
鈥淚 am asked so often by colleagues around the world how it is possible we have achieved so much in a relatively short time. The answer to me is clear: our people, all united around a compelling mission.鈥
Mary Beckerle, PhD
Beckerle oversaw the extension of access to Huntsman Cancer Institute care, expertise, education, and research to communities across the Mountain West. At Huntsman Cancer Institute's main location at the U, she led two major expansions of its cancer hospital as the regional population increased rapidly. This grew inpatient capacity from 50 to 148 beds, increased annual outpatient visits to more than 350,000, and resulted in the region鈥檚 first and only center for proton therapy. Research space and impact also grew with a doubling of laboratories and new infrastructure in population sciences, shared resources, and more.
During Beckerle鈥檚 leadership, Huntsman Cancer Institute drew world-class talent to Utah, who were attracted to the organization鈥檚 collaborative spirit and model that set scientists up for success, in addition to the ability to advance research discoveries from the lab to the clinic. More than 270 Huntsman Cancer Institute research teams annually secure nearly $140 million in new cancer research funds to Utah, supporting more than 650 major projects in lab, clinic, and population sciences. This provides opportunities for more than 8,000 people to participate in research studies, facilitating more than 325 cancer clinical treatment trials, and nearly 700 individuals from high school to early faculty with a variety of programs designed to help them succeed in cancer medicine and science.
Standing Among the Greats
Beckerle worked closely with 91麻豆天美直播 hospitals and clinics leaders to develop six affiliate cancer hospital sites in five neighboring states, planning collaboratively with local care partners to elevate the standard of cancer care across the region. New community clinic sites were established to better serve cancer patients across the Wasatch Front. Looking to the future and need for increased access to cancer research and care to more communities in the region, Beckerle was a major driver of the launch of the new Huntsman Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in Vineyard, Utah County. She also helped outline Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 presence at the 91麻豆天美直播 in West Valley City.
鈥淔or the past 20 years, Dr. Mary Beckerle has been at the forefront of building Huntsman Cancer Institute into one of the premier cancer research and clinical care institutes in the world. Mary has been the CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute since 2006,鈥 said Peter Huntsman, Chairman and CEO of Huntsman Cancer Foundation. 鈥淒uring her tenure, Huntsman Cancer Institute achieved the highly coveted recognition as a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Under her leadership, she and the 4,000 associates of Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah have made our family鈥檚 ambition around cancer treatment a reality. I am delighted that Mary will continue her association as she moves to a position of serving on the board of directors that oversees Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Our family is also delighted with the opportunity we will have to continue to support and work with Dr. Brad Cairns as he assumes the responsibility of being the CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute. We have had the good fortune of working with Brad and seeing firsthand his intellect, passion, and leadership in building Huntsman Cancer Institute since 1999. Brad exemplifies the wonderful character of all of the associates of the cancer center. President Taylor Randall and Dr. Bob Carter made a bold and wise decision in appointing Brad.鈥
鈥淚t is an incredible honor to have served at Huntsman Cancer Institute since the organization opened its doors in 1999,鈥 said Beckerle. 鈥淚 am asked so often by colleagues around the world how it is possible we have achieved so much in a relatively short time. The answer to me is clear: our people, all united around a compelling mission. Emanating from our inspiring principal benefactors, the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman family, to our patients, donors, faculty, clinical providers, staff, students, and all who stand by our side鈥攚e have convened a community where every aspect of what we do is laser focused on delivering hope, healing, and improved outcomes for cancer patients. I am thrilled to see Brad take the helm and know the institute will achieve even greater heights under the leadership of my passionate and dedicated colleague,鈥 continued Beckerle.
Working to Eradicate Cancer
Cairns, an internationally renowned scientist, is a longtime Huntsman Cancer Institute leader, currently serving as head of academic affairs. He has held numerous roles, including chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences and director of graduate programs in molecular biology at the U. His National Institutes of Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute-funded research has helped shape the field of cancer epigenetics and precision oncology. Cairns is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society, the world鈥檚 oldest scientific academy whose members include Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking.
At Huntsman Cancer Institute, Cairns has overseen major institutional initiatives, including expanded collaborations with Brigham Young University (BYU), Utah Valley University (UVU), and the U to engage students across the state in cancer training. He led the establishment of the Huntsman Cancer Institute-UVU Health Collaborative, and graduate capstone projects at Huntsman Cancer Institute for BYU biomedical informatics students in efforts to extend reach of the official comprehensive cancer center of Utah to more students in the state.
鈥淚 am honored to step into the CEO role at Huntsman Cancer Institute, humbled by the history of this organization鈥攖he compassion and drive of those who have come before me鈥攁nd deeply motivated in service to cancer patients everywhere who are urgently counting on us to deliver on the promise of this lifesaving institution,鈥 said Cairns. 鈥淚 am incredibly grateful to Mary for her leadership and mentorship and for the foundation she has built for this next phase at Huntsman Cancer Institute.鈥
鈥淲e are poised to drive innovation focused on delivering health and healing to cancer patients here in the Mountain West and beyond.鈥
Brad Cairns, PhD
Cairns received his PhD from Stanford University in cell biology in the lab of Nobel laureate Roger Kornberg, PhD, and later completed postdoctoral training in the lab of Fred Winston, PhD, in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He holds the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, given by the Utah State Legislature in 2018 upon the passing of Jon M. Huntsman.
Cairns looks to the future of Huntsman Cancer Institute with considerable optimism. 鈥淚n the fields of cancer research and therapies, I am astounded at the progress that has been made recently, which would have been unimaginable only a few years ago. Similarly, at Huntsman Cancer Institute, thanks to an endlessly dedicated and talented team of faculty, trainees and staff鈥攁long with our special collaborative culture鈥攚e are poised to drive innovation focused on delivering health and healing to cancer patients here in the Mountain West and beyond.鈥
Additional details about Cairns and his vision for the future of Huntsman Cancer Institute will be distributed as he begins his tenure in September 2025. Beckerle will remain in service to Huntsman Cancer Institute and the U as a member of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation board of directors and distinguished professor of biology and oncological sciences at the U. She will also continue to serve as a member on a number of boards and advisory groups, including the Medical Advisory Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Scientific Advisory Council of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Extended Reflections on Beckerle鈥檚 Impact on Huntsman Cancer Institute
As Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah look to the future, with deep confidence in the leadership of Cairns, Beckerle鈥檚 legacy is clear: a relentless pursuit of a cancer-free frontier grounded in scientific rigor, human compassion, and a bold vision for what鈥檚 possible.
Beckerle鈥檚 Career Trajectory as a Faculty Member and Executive Leader at the University of Utah
Beckerle was the third and longest-serving CEO in Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 history; predecessors included Drs. Ray White and Stephen Prescott. Originally from New Jersey, she joined the faculty of the University of Utah in 1986 where she began her first position in academics as an assistant professor of biology, under the mentorship of Mario Capecchi, PhD, who would later go on to become Utah鈥檚 first Nobel laureate. She steadily advanced in Utah, and her achievements did not go unnoticed by other prominent organizations. She came close to leaving the state in the late 1990s when Johns Hopkins University attempted to recruit her to lead a major biomedical department.
As word got around the University of Utah campus that a rising star may be leaving, efforts were activated to compel her to stay and join an endeavor even she didn鈥檛 yet know was underway: the nascent Huntsman Cancer Institute. This vision of a cancer campus to unite Utah鈥檚 cancer research, clinical care, education, and outreach programs pioneered by Jon M. Huntsman inspired Beckerle to stay in Utah where she saw opportunity to be part of something that would make a major impact.
An Internationally Recognized Cancer Cell Biologist
At the University of Utah, Beckerle thrived, making exceptional strides in her research program. The National Institutes of Health funded Beckerle鈥檚 lab for more than three decades, alongside other peer-reviewed support, including from the American Cancer Society, CureSearch for Children鈥檚 Cancer. Beckerle and her team members advanced key findings in how cells move, with a special focus on sarcomas, cancers of the bone and connective tissue that, while rare, generally effect children and young adults. Her scientific prowess was recognized with numerous honors. Notable among them include election to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Utah Governor鈥檚 Medal for Science and Technology, and recent receipt of the Alfred G. Knudson Prize in Cancer Genetics from the National Cancer Institute.
Advancing Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 Research Focus to Address Needs of Rural and Frontier Populations, and Propelling that the Message to the National Stage
She has also been instrumental in securing resources to propel the organization forward, often reflecting that 鈥渨hat keeps me up at night is the idea that a cancer patient can鈥檛 access Huntsman Cancer Institute.鈥
In this, Beckerle pointed to national studies demonstrating better outcomes and survival when a cancer patient is treated at a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center where they could access subspecialty expertise, cutting-edge technologies, and research integration in the teams that develop targeted treatment plans for each patient鈥檚 cancer. She recognized that partners in the community would be essential to extending access within and beyond Utah and worked to support and sustain collaborations with numerous individuals and organizations working to serve cancer patients in the Mountain West. She led the organization around a vision to 鈥渄eliver a cancer-free frontier.鈥
Building upon Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 signature focus on cancer genetics, she expanded the organization鈥檚 strategic efforts to address the needs of rural and frontier cancer patients. This insight reverberated far beyond Huntsman Cancer Institute when then-Vice President Joe Biden visited the organization in 2016 as part of his national 鈥淐ancer Moonshot鈥 listening tour. Huntsman Cancer Institute scientists identified that members of rural Utah communities who received a cancer diagnosis were 10% more likely to die of cancer than Utahns who lived close to a major medical center.
Determined to change that statistic, Beckerle鈥檚 advocacy for rural and frontier patients during that visit and many meetings with the White House that followed led to an adoption of focus on distance from a major medical center among key new priorities in the nation鈥檚 federal research programs.
Additional reflections on Dr. Beckerle鈥檚 impact on Huntsman Cancer Institute will be shared in the weeks to come.
The critical research happening every day at Huntsman Cancer Institute is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, including cancer center support grant P30 CA042014, as well as Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
Media Contact
Ashlee Harrison
Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Huntsman Cancer Institute
801 581-3194
public.affairs@hci.utah.edu
About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a legacy of innovative cancer research, groundbreaking discoveries, and world-class patient care, we are transforming the way cancer is understood, prevented, diagnosed, treated, and survived. Huntsman Cancer Institute focuses on delivering the most advanced cancer healing and prevention through scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge technology to create pioneering cancer treatments beyond the standard of care today. We have more than 325 open clinical trials and 276 research teams studying cancer. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center. Our scientists are world-renowned for understanding how cancer begins and using that knowledge to develop innovative approaches to treat each patient鈥檚 unique disease. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.