Contessa Named Chair of Radiation Oncology for Multiple Rutgers Campuses and Cancer Institute

On Aug 8, 2025

Following a national search, Joseph Contessa, M.D., Ph.D., has been selected as the chair of radiation oncology for Rutgers Cancer Institute, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He will also serve as associate director for translational research at Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center together with RWJBarnabas Health. Contessa takes over for Dr. Bruce Haffty who recently chose to step down from the position he has held since 2005.

Contessa joins Rutgers from Yale University, where he served as professor of therapeutic radiology, co-leader of the Yale Cancer Center Radiobiology and Genome Integrity Research Program, and vice chair for basic science research in therapeutic radiology, among other leadership roles. He is an internationally recognized physician-scientist whose career spans over two decades of excellence in clinical radiation oncology, translational cancer research, and academic leadership.

He has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on over 20 grants and has published more than 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nature Communications, and Science Advances. Contessa’s leadership extends through service on multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections and journal editorial boards, as well as invited speaking engagements at major academic centers and cancer symposia. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and a recipient of the Harrington Discovery Scholar-Innovator Award, among numerous other honors recognizing his innovative contributions.

“I’m honored to join the exceptional team of physicians and scientists at Rutgers Cancer Institute and Rutgers University and look forward to continuing our leadership in advancing radiation therapy research and care,” Contessa said.  “I’m also grateful for the opportunity to return to my home state and contribute to the Department and Center’s mission of delivering innovative treatments and expanding access to clinical trials for patients in New Jersey and beyond.”

“Dr. Contessa’s exceptional leadership and expertise will enhance and propel the high level of excellence in radiation oncology established at Rutgers Cancer Institute by Dr. Bruce Haffty, an international leader in radiation oncology,” said Steven K. Libutti, M.D., William N. Hait director of Rutgers Cancer Institute and senior vice president, oncology services, RWJBarnabas Health. “Under Dr. Contessa’s directorship, the Department of Radiation Oncology and its faculty will continue to transform cancer research and care for the communities we serve.”

Contessa is a member of several major professional organizations, including the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), and the Society for Glycobiology (SFG). Nationally, he serves as Chair of the NIH Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology Study Section and is a member of the NCI Head and Neck Cancer Steering Committee.

Haffty will continue to serve as the system director of radiation oncology for RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute and will see patients at the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, the state’s only freestanding comprehensive cancer hospital.

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