Aug 26, 2015
Dr. Wolchok (right) and his wife, Karen Popkin, at Carnegie Hall for a concert performance only a week after the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Chief of the Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics Service in the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC); Associate Director of the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at MSKCC; Associate Professor at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and Weill Cornell Medical College; Member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research; and ASCO Board of Directors Member
AC: What led you to oncology?
Dr. Wolchok: Like many other oncology professionals, the loss of a family member when I was young was a strong motivational factor. In my case, I lost my grandmother to pancreatic cancer. Also, when I decided to pursue my medical and doctorate degrees, I was intent on embarking on a scientific project that would address an urgent human health problem.
AC: What’s the last book you read?
Dr. Wolchok: I know this probably seems too predictable, but it actually was The Emperor of All Maladies.
AC: What hobbies do you enjoy?
Dr. Wolchok: My wife Karen Popkin (a Music Therapist at MSKCC) and I play in a local all-volunteer symphonic band, the Brooklyn Wind Symphony. I play tuba and Karen plays euphonium. We met at a dress rehearsal for a band concert in 1991.
AC: Do you have a personal motto?
Dr. Wolchok: “This is the life we’ve chosen,” from The Godfather.
AC: What career could you see yourself in if you weren’t an oncologist?
Dr. Wolchok: I have always been fascinated by aviation, and I actually took a flying lesson when I was in medical school. My parents quickly put an end to that!
AC: What changes do you envision for the field in the next 10 years?
Dr. Wolchok: I think oncology will become more data-driven and precision- based. Advances in our understanding of tumor genetics and host-tumor interaction will more directly inform therapeutic decisions.
AC: What would you say to a young physician thinking about entering the field of oncology?
Dr. Wolchok: We are invited into the lives of extraordinary people at the worst possible time. Take time to appreciate the honor you have been given to help such special people and learn more about both them and their disease. A deep understanding of the patient and their illness will allow you to have an amazing impact on their lives.