H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Inc.
09/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/15/2026 12:25
Moffitt Names Three Technology Leaders to the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center of Excellence Board of Advisers
TAMPA, Fla. (September 14, 2026) - Moffitt Cancer Center has named three prominent technology entrepreneurs and innovators to the Board of Advisers for the Donald A. Adam Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center of Excellence.
Ming Hsieh, Stan Lapidus and Don Listwin will provide strategic guidance as the Center of Excellence expands its focus on new diagnostic technologies for early cancer detection and treatment approaches that can be used earlier in the course of disease.
"Amazing progress has been made in the treatment of advanced melanoma. Despite this, there is still more to be done," said Keiran Smalley, Ph.D., director of the Donald A. Adam Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center of Excellence. "The recruitment of these three distinguished new advisers will give us a unique opportunity to pursue strategies to intervene earlier in the detection and treatment of melanoma, and other skin cancers like squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma."
The Center of Excellence brings together Moffitt experts in discovery science, translational research and clinical care to develop new approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat melanoma and other skin cancers. Its goals include developing new technologies that improve skin cancer diagnosis, prevention and treatment and translating discoveries into clinical trials.
The three new advisers bring decades of experience in developing technologies and building companies, including work specifically focused on cancer diagnostics and early detection.
About Ming Hsieh
Hsieh is an engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist whose career has spanned technology and biotechnology. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Fulgent Genetics, a genomic testing and therapeutic development company. He previously co-founded Cogent Inc., where he helped pioneer automated biometric identification technology. The company was acquired by 3M in 2010.
Hsieh has also made significant investments in cancer research. In 2010, he established the Ming Hsieh Institute for Research on Engineering-Medicine for Cancer at the University of Southern California. The institute brings together engineering, science and medicine to develop new approaches to cancer research.
Hsieh is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
About Stan Lapidus
Lapidus is an inventor and entrepreneur who has founded two of the most successful companies in the history of the diagnostic industry. He holds 37 patents, primarily related to methods for the early detection of cancer.
He founded Cytyc Corp. in 1987, which developed the ThinPrep Pap test. With over 2 billion ThinPreps performed, it has become a global standard of care. He subsequently founded Exact Sciences, which developed the Cologuard test for early detection of colorectal cancer.
Lapidus was a member of the teaching faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for many years. Currently, he serves as chairman of both Mercy BioAnalytics and Mirvie. He was elected a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering for his contributions to early cancer detection.
About Don Listwin
Listwin is a technology investor and entrepreneur who has spent more than four decades in the technology industry. He held senior leadership roles at Cisco Systems and later served as CEO of Openwave, a company that helped develop infrastructure for the early mobile internet.
In 2004, Listwin founded the Canary Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing technologies for the early detection of cancer. The Canary Foundation has created teams for biomarker discovery and validation, as well as molecular imaging technologies to identify and isolate cancer at its earliest, most curable stage. The current focus is on prostate, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. He has also served on the National Cancer Institute's Board of Scientific Advisors and is a member of the Stanford Advisory Board for the Canary Center for Cancer Early Detection.
Listwin founded Listwin Ventures and has invested in numerous technology and health companies. His experience includes serving as CEO of RapidAI, which develops artificial intelligence-powered imaging technology to help clinicians diagnose and treat stroke.
Expanding the Focus on Earlier Detection and Treatment
The appointments come as the Center of Excellence looks to build on its strengths in melanoma and skin cancer research by placing additional emphasis on technologies that could identify cancers earlier and treatments that can be delivered before disease progresses. The incorporation of machine-learning enabled approaches, particularly in the evaluation of precancerous lesions, may be particularly promising.
That includes exploring new diagnostic approaches as well as expanding research into neoadjuvant therapy, which provides treatment before surgery, and other strategies designed to intervene at the earliest stages of cancer.
The Center of Excellence was established in 2007 through a $20.4 million gift from Donald A. Adam, who was successfully treated for melanoma at Moffitt. Since then, the Center of Excellence has brought together Moffitt laboratory researchers and clinicians to accelerate discoveries into new approaches for patients with melanoma and other skin cancers.
The addition of Hsieh, Lapidus and Listwin to the Board of Advisers will provide the Center of Excellence with outside perspectives from leaders who have experience turning scientific and technological advances into tools with real-world impact.
"I am absolutely delighted that three world class advisers have joined our ongoing fight against melanoma and other skin cancers at Moffitt," said James Mulé, IPh.D., associate center director of Translational Science at Moffitt. "Their notable experience in diagnostics will be a critical asset as we take the next leap in improving our patient outcomes."
About Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 58 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt's expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet status, its highest distinction. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
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H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Inc. published this content on September 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 15, 2026 at 18:25 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]