DURHAM, N.C. - Dr. Matthew J. Ellis has been named the new director of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center's breast cancer program, effective July 1.

Previously, Ellis was an assistant professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology at Georgetown University.

Ellis' research has focused on the role of insulin-like growth factors in breast cancer, as well as the use of aromatase inhibitors and hormones in treating the disease. This research will continue at Duke, as Ellis leads the clinical arm of the Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in breast cancer at Duke.

"Dr. Ellis will complement the ongoing research at Duke through interactions with basic scientists in profiling tumor gene expression and add a new perspective and strong leadership to our breast cancer program," said Dr. Keith Sullivan, chief of medical oncology and transplantation at Duke. "We're very happy to have him join our team."

Originally from the United Kingdom, Ellis completed his initial medical training in the U.K. before coming to the United States in 1991 as a Medical Research Council of Great Britain Traveling Fellow at the Lombardi Cancer Research Center at Georgetown.