Three New Leaders in 2025 Pave the Way to More Cancer Treatment Discoveries at Karmanos

Azeddine Atfi, Ph.D., has joined Karmanos as the new deputy center director of Research and a tenured professor of research at Wayne State University. With over 25 years in research education, Dr. Atfi’s research interests are uncovering the molecular mechanisms that drive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and its association with cachexia. He has dedicated his career to investigating the processes underlying tumor pathogenesis and progression. Throughout his career, Dr. Atfi has held several prominent leadership roles in research and academic medicine.

His leadership in research began in 2002, when he served as chair of the Cell Signaling Unit at INSERM in Paris, France. This is where he advanced cutting-edge studies on cancer signaling networks. Between 2008 and 2011, he was a faculty member at both Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where he supported departmental leadership in strategic initiatives and program development. In 2011, he established the Tumor Cell Biology Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, serving as the founding director and defining its research mission from the beginning.

In 2018, Dr. Atfi joined Virginia Commonwealth University and its National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Massey Cancer Center, where he initially served as chair of Cellular and Molecular Pathogenesis and later as the founding leader of the Cancer Biology Program. His leadership contributed to Massey Cancer Center achieving NCI Comprehensive Designation in 2022.

“With a career distinguished by scientific expertise, visionary leadership, and a proven ability to build collaborative research enterprises, Dr. Atfi is exceptionally positioned to guide innovative cancer research initiatives from conception to impactful outcomes,” said Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, president and CEO at Karmanos. “Since coming to Karmanos, he has been a champion for our research team members and all their individual contributions to discovering breakthroughs in cancer research. His prior appointments and experience bring the tools Karmanos needs to continue to grow cancer research endeavors in Detroit.”

Dr. Atfi received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy, all in molecular cellular biology, from the University of Rennes in France. He additionally completed two postdoctoral fellowships: one at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and the other at Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, France.

Elizabeth Cunningham, MS, CCRP, is the new vice president of the Karmanos Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Office (CTO). Her journey to this role began in May 2024, when she served as the interim vice president, managing the CTO leadership team and a staff of over 150 team members. With a distinguished 10-year tenure at Karmanos, Cunningham started as a clinical research coordinator and advanced to a study coordination supervisor and a quality assurance and education manager. Her experience at Karmanos includes representing the CTO to internal and external stakeholders, serving as the liaison for on-site and remote external audits, maintaining oversight and implementation of all CTO polices and workflows, updating and maintaining the Karmanos Data and Safety Monitoring Plan, representing Karmanos as part of the Quality Assurance Committee and the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee, and more.

“We are enthusiastic about Elizabeth’s new role with the Clinical Trials Office, particularly as we continue to broaden our clinical trial research initiatives this year and in the years to come,” said Dr. Pasche. “The efforts done in our Clinical Trials Office not only benefit advancing cancer treatment in Southeast Michigan, but also the patients at our cancer centers throughout the Karmanos Cancer Network, and additionally, we are helping to bring these new therapies to patients around the world.”

Cunningham is a certified clinical research professional (CCRP) recognized by the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA), who holds a Master of Science in education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Benjamin Herring, MA, has been appointed vice president and associate center director of Research Administration. Herring has nearly a 20-year career at Karmanos within the research administration office, including serving as the director of Research Administration since 2017 and director of Research Finance from 2010 to 2016. In his experience at Karmanos, Herring has bridged the gap between busy researchers and administrators, from lab-based scientists to C-suite leaders. In his tenure, Herring has coordinated all aspects of the Cancer Center Support Grant competing and non-competing renewals, supported scientific program and cancer center initiatives, prompted cancer center membership for new investigators, and reviewed member status. Herring was already acquainted with Karmanos after working at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Karmanos’ long-term partner in cancer research and its NCI designation.

“Ben oversees administrative support in developing our upcoming core grant renewal in his new role, which is a very important process as we continue crucial research and discovery in cancer care,” Dr. Pasche explained. “As the administrator of all research operations, I have no doubt that he will effectively ensure our research infrastructure remains continually effective in the fight against cancer.”

Herring received his Master of Arts in military history at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, and his Bachelor of Science in business administration from William Tyndale College in Farmington Hills, Michigan.