MD Anderson Innovation Center Team
The Innovation Center employs a diverse team of creative thinkers with backgrounds in business, research, design and technology. Each member of the team is driven by the desire to eliminate cancer, while creating a better experience for patients.
Dan Shoenthal, Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President of Innovation
Dan Shoenthal earned his master’s degree in Information Systems Management and bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Robert Morris University. Before joining MD Anderson, Dan was the senior director of product management at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s (UPMC) Technology Development Center and UPMC Enterprises. As part of the leadership team, he was responsible for creating product strategies across the entire payer/provider continuum and developed a vast portfolio of digital technology investments and new companies that over the years created lasting impact.
Here at MD Anderson, he has a proven track record of maneuvering the complexities of innovation to generate impact. Dan has led the creation of innovative health care experiences and technology in collaboration with team members across the organization to bring novel approaches to all aspects of realizing our mission to end cancer. This includes his contributions in increasing virtual access to our services by implementing a system-wide effort that improved patient experience, quality, safety and retention. The pandemic accelerated these efforts, which have now become a critical part of our clinical practice and operations. As a central figure in the development of our strategic data collaborations, Dan has demonstrated the impact of a thoughtful innovation framework to bring new approaches to MD Anderson that can be executed at scale. Consistent with his overall approach, this effort starts with close engagement, understanding and alignment of experts across MD Anderson. This is the approach that we look forward to bringing to other domains of innovation under Dan’s leadership.
As the co-creator of our Innovation strategy – developed in response to and in alignment with our institutional Strategy – Dan is driving forward a compelling plan for MD Anderson. This plan will set us on the path to grow new innovation capabilities across disciplines and mission areas and enable innovators throughout the organization. Dan's versatile mix of technical and management skills helps him maintain a global perspective and to foresee obstacles and opportunities for the institution.