Daphne Haas-Kogan

On May 9, Daphne Haas-Kogan, MD, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (DF/BWCC), was selected for the Radiation Oncology Professorship at Harvard Medical School (HMS). The professorship pays tribute to her lifelong commitment to the field of radiation oncology.

During a celebration held in HMS’ Gordon Hall, Haas-Kogan said she was “eternally grateful” to be chosen.

Haas-Kogan, who joined DF/BWCC in 2015, explained that one of her aspirations in life has always been to treat children with cancer.

“Looking at all of you today, I know with certainty that you are granting me this wish in spades,” said Haas-Kogan to family, friends, colleagues, trustees, donors and others at the event. “I am honored and so genuinely and deeply privileged to be part of your team. I get excited when I think about how we can change the world together. I cannot wait to change the world with you.”

Endowed professorships are the highest honor HMS confers on its faculty, held by less than 3 percent of the school’s 11,000 faculty members.

Before being presented with a framed citation, Haas-Kogan was introduced with remarks from George Daley, MD, PhD, dean of HMS; her three children, Shira, Yonatan and Maetal; former colleague Sean McBride, MD, MPH, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; and Brigham Health President Betsy Nabel, MD.

Nabel, who helped recruit Haas-Kogan to DF/BWCC, thanked her for her leadership and commitment to patients.

“Daphne is a brilliant physician-scientist who cares deeply about her patients,” Nabel said. “She’s also a very thoughtful and collaborative leader who brings a depth of experience, not only in patient care, research innovation and teaching, but also administratively. The chemistry was a perfect fit.”

Haas-Kogan’s children thanked their mother – addressing her as their “Ima,” which translates to “mother” from Hebrew – for being a role model they look up to every day.

“Through every fiber of my mom’s being runs a ceaseless passion, evident to anyone who spends five minutes with her, for helping and supporting those less fortunate,” said Maetal Haas-Kogan. “Ima, thank you for teaching me the meaning of integrity and honor as you embark on this incredible journey.”