Faina Shtern, MD – President and CEO, AdMeTech Foundation – Biographical Summary
Dr. Faina Shtern is a founding member of AdMeTech Foundation’s Board of Directors, and she has served as President and CEO since December 1, 1997. In this position, Dr. Shtern has been providing international leadership for designing and implementing groundbreaking programs in prostate cancer research, education, awareness and advocacy, with the priority focus on the advancement of diagnostic tools. Her work at AdMeTech has led to:
1. Introduction of precedent-setting legislation and a formal hearing on prostate cancer diagnosis in US Congress;
2. Recognition of prostate cancer as a public health priority and a leading disparity by Massachusetts legislature;
3. Multiple commendations from the Massachusetts Governor and legislature, Boston Mayor and Boston City Council for creating a Massachusetts model of national leadership in prostate cancer research and education; and
4. Extensive coverage by major media.
Based on her work at AdMeTech, Boston Business Journal named Dr. Shtern as a “Woman of Influence” for 2016. In early 2017, she was invited by Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot ($1.8 Billion) program to serve as an advisor.
Dr. Shtern was recognized as a leader in cancer research and education since 1990, when she was appointed as Chief, Diagnostic Imaging Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute and chair and member of multiple NCI- and NIH- and federal government-wide, national and international scientific committees. In 1994, Dr. Shtern was selected as the NCI liaison to the U.S. Public Health Office on Women’s Health, Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, where she served as Associate Director of Research and Technology Affairs from March 1997 to September 1999.
In these federal government positions, she led development of a national research policy in diagnostic imaging, and created novel models for large-scale international research programs that established partnerships of government agencies, academia and industry and facilitated advancement and implementation of novel, transformational radiologic technologies and minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases, with primary focus on breast cancer.
Between September 1999 and 2002, Dr. Shtern served as Director of Radiology Research at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. Between November 2000 and March 2008, she was also the Director of Research at the Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School. In these positions, her leadership resulted in the creation of multi-disciplinary, multi-million dollar research programs.
After receiving her M.D. from Chernovets Medical School in the former USSR, Dr. Shtern came as a refugee to New York City in 1979. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Staten Island Hospital, Downstate Medical Center in 1984 and become the first graduate of this program to be appointed as a Clinical and Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she was promoted to the faculty member position in 1987.
Dr. Shtern has provided leadership for and participated in numerous scientific and advisory committees, academic workshops and conferences in the United States and throughout the world, including the breast cancer study group of the National Academy of Medicine. She also has served as an expert witness in briefings and formal hearings held by the U.S. President’s Cancer Panel, U.S. Congress, senior officials of state and federal government, industry, consumer organizations, the media and the general public.