Dr. James (Jay) E. Bradner, physician-scientist from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, has been appointed president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) and a member of the executive committee of Novartis, effective March 1.

Dr. Bradner succeeds Mark C. Fishman, M.D., who will reach his contractual retirement age in March 2016 after a distinguished 13-year career at Novartis as the leader of the company's drug discovery and early clinical development efforts.

"Mark has done an outstanding job leading NIBR, and he will be missed. He redefined research at Novartis, recruiting top scientists and clinicians from around the world, putting patient need and disciplined science at the center of our strategy, which has  filled our pipeline with new medicines," said Joseph Jimenez, Chief Executive Officer of Novartis.

"I am confident that Jay will continue this track record of success. He is an accomplished scientist whose discoveries in the area of chemical biology have revealed novel approaches for treating cancer and other illnesses. He is also an entrepreneur who has been the driving scientific force behind several biotech startups. His experience and perspectives make him a great fit to further develop our internal research capabilities, as well as expand our external collaboration efforts with biotech companies and academic institutions."

Dr. Bradner will be based at NIBR's global headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts and report to Jimenez. He joined Novartis Jan. 1 to work alongside Dr. Fishman and the NIBR leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.

Dr. Bradner is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School in the Department of Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Chicago Medical School. He did his residency in medicine at the Brigham & Women's Hospital, and fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he has been on the faculty since 2005. Dr. Bradner has co-authored more than 130 scientific publications and 30 United States Patent applications.