Dr. Joseph V. Simone was named director of UF Shands Cancer Center and physician-in-chief of cancer services for Shands at UF on May 6. He will start July 1 and will replace Dr. W. Stratford May Jr., who resigned in April.
Simone, a pediatric oncologist who has led some of the top cancer programs in the country, will serve a two-year appointment and receive $400,000 annually.
Simone said in a Wednesday telephone interview that his new responsibilities include organizing cancer programs across UF departments, working with UF and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and supporting the development of the new Shands cancer hospital, scheduled to be completed in 2009.
"I look forward to the chance to lay the foundation for basically a new program," he said.