Christian Capitini named director of the UW Carbone Cancer Center

Capitini joined the school’s faculty in 2011 and currently serves as professor and chief of the Division of Hematology, Oncology, Transplant & Cellular Therapy in the Department of Pediatrics at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Capitini is also a pediatric hematologist and oncologist with UW Health Kids at the American Family Children’s Hospital. Since December 2024, he has served as the acting director of the Carbone Cancer Center.

Capitini’s research focuses on stem cell transplant and personalized cellular therapies, a kind of immunotherapy that helps the body’s own immune system recognize and fight cancer. He trained at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University and the National Cancer Institute.

UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center is one of the original comprehensive cancer centers in the country as designated by the National Cancer Institute, and the only NCI-designated center in Wisconsin. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Wisconsin, with approximately 36,000 new invasive cancer cases diagnosed annually, highlighting the importance of the center’s work. The center’s comprehensive status illustrates its expertise and impact across every domain of cancer: clinical care for cancer patients, research and clinical trials for innovative therapies, education, and efforts to prevent cancer in communities.

Carbone currently holds an “outstanding” rating from the NCI, placing it in the top 10% of all 73 NCI-designated cancer centers in the U.S. More than 33,000 people receive care from the center’s faculty physicians annually. Since 1990, the center has enrolled more than 36,000 patients in clinical trials and currently supports 250 active trials each year. Nearly 250 researchers from across the university are members of the center, investigating how cancer can be prevented and detected, how it forms and spreads, and how it can best be diagnosed and treated, with a focus on precision medicine.

Nita Ahuja, MD, MBA, dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and vice chancellor for medical affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, said Capitini will advance a bold vision for the future of Carbone and cancer care. Together with Alan Kaplan, MD, CEO of UW Health, Ahuja looks forward to seeing the impact of the cancer center’s research and care on patients throughout Wisconsin and the world continue to grow.

“Our cancer center has a rich history of world-changing research and discovery, from pioneering Mohs surgery for skin cancer to developing Tamoxifen to treat and prevent breast cancer,” Ahuja said. “Strengthening our cancer center and positioning us to be a national and global leader is a key priority, and I am excited about the center’s bold strategy for its next chapter.”

By actualizing a unified strategy that spans the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, UW Health and UW–Madison, Ahuja and Kaplan said that Carbone’s next phase will integrate cancer care services and further deepen the center’s dedication to its academic missions of research and education.

“Dr. Capitini will lead the center’s work to promote collaboration and team science, advance bench to bedside discoveries, attract world class talent, partner with our community, and expand philanthropic opportunities,” Kaplan said. “All in service to the cancer patients and their families in our care that we provide hope to every day.”

According to UW–Madison Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska, the power of the center’s research mission lies in its ability to catalyze the discovery of innovative diagnostic methods and treatments for different types of cancer.

“The impact of UW Carbone Cancer Center on the university’s research enterprise is tremendous, bringing together nearly 250 researchers across 9 schools and colleges on the UW–Madison campus to conduct more than 800 active, funded research projects and 250 clinical trials per year,” said Grejner-Brzezinska. “I look forward to the next stage of the center’s bold vision and the innovative approach of its research community.”

“I could not be more excited, honored and humbled to be leading our Carbone Cancer Center,” Capitini said. “The power of Carbone’s ability to advance our fight against cancer lies in our extraordinary people who are driven to discover and evaluate new treatments, train the next generation, and promote cancer prevention and screening efforts. My top priority is ensuring we continue to lead and grow while and ultimately providing our patients with the best and most innovative care possible.”