Dr. Torti has served as Acting Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration, Executive Vice President and Dean of the University of Connecticut Heath Center, and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Director of the Comprehensive Cancer at Wake Forest Health Center. He has served on the Board of Directors of Tufts Health Plan – a nonprofit insurance provider with over one million members and annual revenue of over $5 billion. His experience in healthcare spans executive leadership of institutions with billions of dollars in revenue, a distinguished career as a physician/scientist with deep expertise in oncology, and leadership of one of the most important food and drug regulatory bodies in the world.

Dr. Torti received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Johns Hopkins University, his M.D. from Harvard Medical School (cum laude), and his M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health.  He was an intern and resident at the Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, a Harvard teaching hospital, and a fellow in medical oncology at Stanford University.

Leadership in Healthcare:

EVP and Dean, University of Connecticut Health Center. From 2012-2015, Dr. Torti served as Executive Vice President of the University of Connecticut Health Center and Dean of the School of Medicine.  In this position he led a fully integrated Health Center with an annual budget approaching $1 billion that included a university hospital, physician practice and medical school. He oversaw the Health Center’s construction projects that totaled $880 million. He developed operational efficiencies that saved over $50 million and provided a $7.1 million positive variance to the Board of Trustees budget. He achieved these economies while increasing clinical quality measures and patient access and satisfaction to levels never before achieved at the Health Center.

Chief Scientist and Acting Commissioner, US Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Torti was recruited to the FDA in 2008 as Principal Deputy Commissioner (second ranking official) and the FDA’s first Chief Scientist, a new position mandated in the FDA Amendments Act of 2007. As Chief Scientist, a number of FDA offices and centers reported directly to him, including the National Center for Toxicological Research, the Offices of Fellowship and Training, Critical Path Programs, Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Pediatric Therapeutics, Orphan Drugs, Women’s Health and Combination Products. While Chief Scientist, Dr. Torti developed and implemented the FDA commissioner’s fellowship program, developed the overarching vision and priorities and implementation plan for FDA science, created a plan for recruitment, retention and career development in the Office of Oncology Drug Products (for which he received a Department of Health and Human Services “Commissioner’s Commendation”), established the first FDA science writers symposium, developed a program of peer-reviewed “science first” research awards, developed an HHS-wide economic adulteration task force, and coordinated the scientific integration of the FDA’s informatics transformation with the aim of providing more rapid review of drugs and devices.

In January 2009, Dr. Torti was appointed Acting Commissioner of the FDA, a 14,000 member organization with employees stationed across the globe. He managed complex multi-state food-borne illness outbreaks, and initiated a scientific taskforce on scientific tools for rapid detection of pathogens that coordinated efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, DARPA, CDC, FDA, USDA, NIST, and NIH. He also developed strong collaborations with NIH and NCI leadership to tackle complex scientific issues surrounding the toxicology and human epidemiology of estrogen disruptors. Dr. Torti developed a strong consensus around the preeminence of science at the FDA, and used his influence to support integration of drug, biologic and device regulation as well as facilitate more rapid drug approval. While at the FDA, Dr. Torti worked with the CMS director and CMS Medical Director to develop physician reimbursement for clinical trial participants enrolled in Medicare.

Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chair, Department of Cancer Biology; and Vice President Strategic Programs, Wake Forest University Medical Center. From 1993-2012 Dr. Torti held positions as both Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center and Chair of the Department of Cancer Biology.  In 2009 he assumed the additional role of Vice President for Strategic Programs.  In these roles, Dr. Torti led and provided oversight for the financial and strategic initiatives of all inpatient and outpatient cancer clinical programs as well as scientific programs within the cancer center. Under his leadership US News and World Reports rated Wake Forest Cancer Center as one of the top 25 cancer centers nationally and first among the cancer centers in North Carolina.

Stanford University Leadership. Dr. Torti was a tenured faculty member in the oncology division of Stanford Medical Center until 1993. During this period, he served as Executive Officer of the Northern California Oncology Group and Associate Director of the Northern California Cancer Program, where he provided leadership in clinical trial design and implementation for that NCI-funded regional network.

Clinical, Scientific and Educational Achievements:

A well-known clinical investigator in urologic oncology, he has designed and executed clinical trials that have become standards of care in genitourinary oncology worldwide.  He has been routinely selected by his peers for recognition in national magazines of “America’s top doctors” and “top cancer doctors.” He has served on the NIH Council for the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and was appointed to the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trial Advisory Committee (CTAC) and Board of Scientific Advisors (BSA). He founded the Cancer Biology Training Consortium (CABTRAC), a national society of cancer biology chairs and program directors that now involves 70 US academic medical centers. He also served as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Taskforce on Research and Innovation, which first conceptualized the “cancer moonshot”.

In addition to his knowledge of drug development from a regulatory perspective, Dr. Torti has deep experience in clinical drug development. He led a research team at Wake Forest that developed a rationally synthesized small molecule approach to cancer treatment and also led a team that took a novel antiangiogenic biologic from early preclinical development to clinical phase II trials. He has been principal investigator on over fifty phase I and II trials.

Dr. Torti has also been recognized nationally and for fundamental observations on iron homeostasis and cancer, as well as for unravelling the complex the relationships among oxidants, cytokines and iron. He has published over 290 peer-reviewed scientific articles in highly respected journals including Science, Proc. Nat. Acad. of Sci., Lancet, Cancer Res., New Eng. Jour. Med., Ann. Int. Med., Cell. He has been continuously funded by the NIH with RO1 grants for his basic science research for over 30 years and held a MERIT award from the NIH, an honor bestowed on only 3% of all NIH grantees.

Education

Degree	Institution	Major
B.A.	Johns Hopkins University	Biology
M.A.	Johns Hopkins University	The Writing Seminars
MPH	Harvard University School of Public Health	Public Health
M.D.	Harvard University Medical Scool	Medicine

Post-Graduate Training

Training	Institution	Specialty
Internship	Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School	Medicine
Residency	Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School	Medicine
Fellowship	Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School	Oncology

Awards

Name of Award/Honor	Awarding Organization
Established Investigator in Basic Sciences Award	Wake Forest University
Research Excellence Award, 2001-2006	Wake Forest University Health Sciences
NIH MERIT Award, 2001-2011	NIH
Clinical Investigator Award,1988-1993	Veterans Administration
Selected for Best Doctors in America yearly from 1985 to present (selection based on peer surveys)	Best Doctors in America

Name & Description	Category	Role	Type	Scope	Start Year	End Year
External Board of Scientific Advisors, Wistar Institute Cancer Center	Advisory Committee	Chair	External	Local	2012
National Coalition for Cancer Research (NCCR)	Other	Board member	External	National	2012	2015
Scientific Advisory Board, State of North Carolina Drug Discovery Center of Innovation	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	University	2012
University of California, Irvine-Chao Family Cancer Center	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	University	2011
Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI)	Other	Board Member	External	National	2011	2016
NCI Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee (CTAC)	Advisory Committee	Member	External	National	2011	2016
Indiana University, Cancer Biology Training Program	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	University	2011
External Board of Scientific Advisors, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Cancer Cell Biology Training Program	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	University	2011
Appointed by the NCI director to the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors	Advisory Committee	Member	External	National	2010	2015
Cancer Research Center of Hawai’i,	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	State	2010
University of Colorado Cancer Center	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	University	2010
Duke University	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	University	2010
NCI Board of Scientific Advisors (BSA)	Advisory Committee	Member	External	National	2010	2015
Basic Science Chairs Committee,	Education Committee	Member	External	University	2009
Wake Forest University Physicians Executive Committee	Advisory Committee	Member	External	University	2009
CTSA Oversight Committee	Advisory Committee	Chair	External	University	2009
Dean’s Imaging Oversight Committee	Advisory Committee	Chair	External	University	2007	2008
Appointed by HSS Secretary Leavitt and NIH Director Zerhouni to the NIH Council for the Center on Alternative and Complementary Medicine	Advisory Committee	Memeber	External	National	2006	2008
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine	Advisory Committee	Member	External	National	2006	2008
Academic Appeals Committee	Education Committee	Member	External	University	2003	2006
Cancer Prognosis and Prediction	Study Section	Chair	External	National	2003	2004
Research Advisory Committee	Advisory Committee	Member	External	University	2002	2006
Overcoming barriers to early phase clinical trials (special panel)	Study Section	Panel member	External	National	2002
Genitourinary Oncology, Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)	Professional/Scientific Organization	Committee member	External	National	2000
GU Section, Current Opinion in Oncology	Editorial Board	Editor	External	National	1999	2008
Core Committee for problem-based medical curriculum	Education Committee	Member	External	University	1997	1999
Faculty Executive Council	Education Committee	Member	External	University	1993
Oncology Product Line Committee	Advisory Committee	Member	External	University	1993
Appointed by North Carolina Governor Hunt to chair the Committee on Cancer Care, Governor’s Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control for North Carolina	Advisory Committee	Chair	External	State	1993	2003
DOD Ad hoc Member, Breast Cancer Study Section, Molecular Oncology	Advisory Committee	Ad hoc Member	External	National	1993
National Bladder and Prostatic Cancer Foundation	Professional/Scientific Organization	Vice President and founding member	External	National	1993	2000
American Society of Clinical Oncology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Program Committee Member	External	National	1992
United States Program Chairman, The 4th International Conference on Treatment of Urinary Tract Tumors with Anthracyclines	Professional/Scientific Organization	Program Chairman	External	International	1990
Oncology, Veterans Administration	Study Section	Chairman	External	National	1990	1992
American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant Committee, Stanford	Advisory Committee	Member	External	University	1990	1993
Oncology, Veterans Administration	Study Section	Member	External	National	1989	1990
American Institute for Cancer Research	Study Section	Member	External	National	1989	2008
General Clinical Research Center Advisory Board, Stanford University	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	University	1988	1993
National Advisory Board for Molecular Biology, Veterans Administration	Advisory Committee	Board Member	External	National	1988	1993
Plenary Educational Session on Bladder Cancer, The American Society of Clinical Oncology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National	1987
Session on Urologic Cancer, American Society of Clinical Oncology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Chairman	External	National	1985
Cancer Treatment Reviews	Editorial Board	Deputy Editor	External	National	1984	1993
Session on Urologic Cancer, American Society of Clinical Oncology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Chairman	External	National	1983
Plenary Educational Session on Prostate Cancer, American Society of Clinical Oncology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National	1982
United States Program Chairman, The 2nd International Conference on Treatment of Urinary Tract Tumors with Anthracyclines	Professional/Scientific Organization	Program Chairman	External	International	1982
American Association for Cancer Research	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
American College of Physicians	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
American Federation for Clinical Research	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
American Society of Clinical Oncology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
American Society of Cell Biology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
American Society of Hematology	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
American Urological Association	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
Association of American Cancer Institutes	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
International BioIron Society	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	International
International Society of Interferon Research	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	International
Society for Biological Therapy	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	National
North Carolina Medical Society	Professional/Scientific Organization	Member	External	State
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Board of Trustees	Advisory Committee	Member	External	University
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Cabinet (one of 8 members). The Cabinet is the Medical Center’s overarching decision-making group.	Advisory Committee	Member	External	University
External Board of Scientific Advisors, University of Iowa	Advisory Committee	Member	External	University
External Board of Scientific Advisors, Stanford University, Cancer Biology Training Program	Advisory Committee	Board member	External	State

Journal Articles

Books

Book Chapters

Abstracts

Conference Papers

Editorials

Monographs

Reviews