Zietman named Shipley Professor of Radiation Oncology

Last week, a milestone in academic medicine was reached in the Department of Radiation Oncology as Anthony Zietman, MD, associate director of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Residency Program at MGH, became the first incumbent of a newly-endowed professorship at Harvard Medical School (HMS). The Jenot W. and William U. Shipley Professorship is named for William Shipley, MD, a senior clinician in MGH's Department of Radiation Oncology and the Andres Soriano Professor of Radiation Oncology at HMS, and his wife, Jensie, a longtime MGH supporter, volunteer and founding member of the Friends of the MGH Cancer Center. Colleagues, friends and family members of both doctors gathered in the Bulfinch Tent Oct. 18 to mark the occasion with speeches and the unveiling of a portrait of the Shipleys.

Shipley and Zietman are longtime collaborators in the field of genitourinary oncology as well as friends, so the creation and awarding of the professorship holds special significance for both. Together, they have co-authored over 250 clinical articles and conducted multiple studies relating to patient care and treatment of cancer of the bladder and genitals. Zietman, left, and Shipley

Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH, welcomed guests and thanked the donors whose generosity made the professorship possible. Zietman shared the story about how he came to practice at the MGH and thanked Shipley for his mentorship and friendship, remarking, "In medicine as in life, you can't beat a good partner. Indeed, one plus one equals three."

Shipley then spoke, thanking his wife, family, and "all of my MGH role models," including his colleagues in Urology and Medical Oncology, with whom he has had longstanding and productive relationships. Of the new professorship, he said, "The gifts we have been given are ours to enjoy, but also ours to share."