Dr. Charles M. Rudin

Dr. Charles M. Rudin, a lung cancer specialist, leads the Thoracic Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, bringing together thoracic surgeons, radiation oncologists, pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, and palliative-care experts in a unified program devoted to cancers of the lung and other intrathoracic organs. From the first consultation, imaging and molecular data are reviewed in real time during a multidisciplinary tumor board so staging is precise and therapeutic recommendations reflect every facet of disease biology. A dedicated nursing team coordinates appointments, facilitates symptom-management plans, and offers digital access to visit notes in plain language. Psychological services, smoking-cessation counseling, and survivorship planning sit within the same clinic footprint, reducing travel, shortening the interval from diagnosis to treatment, and limiting redundant testing. Quarterly quality-improvement reviews benchmark outcomes against national databases, while tele-oncology check-ins track respiratory function and quality-of-life metrics between visits. By turning complex multispecialty care into a seamless, comprehensible experience, Dr. Rudin positions every patient to navigate therapy with clarity, resilience, and trust.

 

Dr. Rudin oversees a bench-to-clinic enterprise that dissects the genomic complexity of small cell lung cancer, identifies actionable vulnerabilities, and swiftly tests candidate therapies. His laboratory cultivates patient-derived xenografts and organoid cultures that mirror neuroendocrine phenotypes, enabling high-throughput screens for compounds exploiting DNA-damage-repair defects, BCL2 dependence, or epigenetic dysregulation. Discoveries from these models seeded the lurbinectedin combination study examining synergy with checkpoint inhibitors and informed earlier antibody–drug conjugate investigations targeting DLL3. Weekly translational meetings unite molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, and clinician investigators to finalize eligibility criteria, select pharmacodynamic markers, and adapt dosing algorithms, shrinking the interval between discovery and first-in-human testing. He also co-directs the Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, where chemists and immunologists validate targets, integrate bioinformatic pipelines, and secure investigational agents through transparent partnerships. By combining small cell lung cancer research, translational oncology, and clinical-trial leadership in a single program, Dr. Rudin delivers therapies designed to outwit each patient’s tumor biology. 

 

Beyond his clinical and laboratory commitments, Dr. Rudin shapes the lung-cancer workforce through structured curricula at Weill Cornell Medicine and immersive mentorship inside the Thoracic Oncology Service. Weekly didactics convert complex topics—lineage plasticity, ferroptosis biology, biomarker-driven trial design—into lessons rooted in patient narratives, strengthening communication skills and scientific rigor. Nationally, he serves on guideline committees for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and sits on the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors, keeping patient-centered perspectives at the forefront of policy. He partners with advocacy groups to create multilingual resources on low-dose CT screening, smoking-cessation strategies, and research participation, distributing them at community health fairs and through interactive webinars. Accredited e-learning modules extend continuing-medical-education credit to community oncologists, and pre-/post-course surveys show gains in guideline adherence and early referral to trials. By weaving lung cancer education, patient advocacy, and public-health outreach into his professional portfolio, Dr. Rudin empowers individuals, caregivers, and clinicians to make confident, evidence-based decisions at every stage of the cancer journey.