Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, PhD Chief Executive Officer and Director of Scientific Affairs Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, PhD, is the chief executive officer and director of scientific affairs at the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), a global nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the most promising areas of cancer immunotherapy research to harness the power of the immune system to conquer and cure all cancers. During her tenure at CRI, she has spearheaded the creation of catalytic and novel research programs that span the laboratory and the clinic. She has guided over $500 million in funding to these programs, which enable research and scientific discovery that is changing the course of cancer treatment and saving more lives today. Dr. O’Donnell-Tormey sits on the boards of The Staten Island Foundation where she serves as Secretary; The City University of New York (CUNY); and Coherus Biosciences, Redwood, CA. She also serves on the Cancer Immunotherapy Advisory Board of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, Charlottesville, VA, and the Editorial Advisory Board of Immuno-Oncology Insights. In 1998, Dr. O’Donnell-Tormey was named one of Irish America magazine’s “Top 100” Irish Americans. She is the recipient of the 2002 Fairleigh Dickinson University Pinnacle Award, the highest honor bestowed on its alumni; the 2013 CRI-Frederick W. Alt Award for New Discoveries in Immunology; and the 2020 Tara Withington Public Service Award from the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). Dr. O’Donnell-Tormey received a BS in chemistry, summa cum laude, from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Ph.D. in cell biology from the SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
