INDIANAPOLIS— The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center has recruited internationally recognized breast cancer physician-scientist Alastair Thompson, MD, to serve as director of its Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research.
Thompson, who begins his new role today, has spent more than four decades dedicating his career to advancing breast cancer care by turning scientific discoveries into more personalized approaches to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. His research has helped shape clinical trials that refined surgical care, reduced unnecessary treatment and improved outcomes for patients worldwide.
He also will be the Vera Bradley Foundation Senior Professor of Breast Cancer Discovery and research professor of surgery at IU School of Medicine and associate director of translational research at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
As director of the Vera Bradley Foundation Center, Thompson will lead a multidisciplinary team of breast cancer researchers working to advance discoveries in precision genomics, immunotherapy, survivorship, and treatments for aggressive cancers such as triple negative breast cancer.
"The Vera Bradley Foundation Center at IU has a renowned foundation in breast cancer research built through years of scientific discovery and collaboration," he said. "I’m looking forward to building on those strengths that have led to enhanced research and clinical care – strengths that make our center a model for other breast cancer centers."
Stephanie Scheele, executive director of the northeast Indiana-based Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, said of Thompson’s appointment:
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Dr. Thompson to the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research. His remarkable scientific achievements have transformed breast cancer care around the world, but what excites us even more is his collaborative spirit and his deep appreciation for the partnership between researchers, clinicians and philanthropy.
"He understands that every breakthrough is made possible by people coming together with a shared purpose. We are honored to begin this next chapter alongside him and look forward to accelerating discoveries that will bring hope to patients and families everywhere while moving us closer to a future without breast cancer."
Throughout his career, Thompson has helped transform breast cancer treatment from a one-size-fits-all method to a more personalized approach to breast cancer care by identifying which patients benefit from more intensive treatments and which patients can safely avoid unnecessary procedures or therapies.
"Not everybody needs everything all the time. Our challenge is to understand how to personalize care for each patient," he said.
Thompson has authored more than 450 peer-reviewed publications and has spent much of his career mentoring clinicians and scientists while building multidisciplinary breast cancer research programs.
Before moving to the United States in 2014, Thompson was chair of the United Kingdom’s national breast cancer clinical trials portfolio, helping guide research that influenced breast cancer care worldwide. He earned a music diploma from the London College of Music before studying medical science, medicine and molecular biology at the University of Edinburgh.
Prior to coming to IU, Thompson was professor of surgery, Olga Keith Wiess Chair of Surgery and breast surgery chief at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He also held leadership roles in Baylor's breast cancer program and served as professor of surgery at Texas Children's Hospital.
Earlier in his career, he held leadership and faculty positions at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Dundee, Imperial College London and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
"Dr. Thompson is a breast cancer leader who will further propel the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and the IU School of Medicine’s investigation of breast cancer," D. Wade Clapp, MD, interim cancer center director, said. "His leadership will strengthen our efforts to bring together researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates to accelerate discoveries that improve the lives of people affected by breast cancer in Indiana and beyond."
About the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, an organization born from love, loss, and a deep commitment to change lives. For more than 30 years, the Foundation has been dedicated to funding critical breast cancer research — research that brings hope to patients, families, and future generations. Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, the Foundation has raised over $43 million to advance innovation, improve outcomes, and move us closer to a world without breast cancer. Thank you for standing with us in this fight.
About the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research is home to a multidisciplinary team of research physicians and laboratory scientists who are pushing the boundaries of modern medicine to spread hope and find a cure. The center’s researchers are learning how and why breast cancer develops, how it behaves at different stages of life, and how it uniquely affects different racial and ethnic groups. They are creating new technologies, crafting highly customized therapies, and helping patients avoid the life-altering side effects that often result from standard treatment.
About the Indiana University School of Medicine
The IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the IU School of Medicine ranks No. 15 in 2025 National Institutes of Health funding among all public medical schools in the country.
Writer: Michael Schug, maschug@iu.edu
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