Dr. José Cancelas became the Director, Chief Executive Officer of Hoxworth Blood Center on February 1, 2018. Hoxworth Blood Center was established in 1938 and Cancelas is the 5th director. Hoxworth is the 2nd oldest blood center in the nation and the only university owned and operated blood center. Dr. Cancelas, who joined Hoxworth in 2002, has served in a variety of roles in the past 19 years. He was named Hoxworth division director of research in 2003, was appointed medical director for the Hoxworth Cellular Therapies Division in 2005, and served as the deputy director since 2013 – 2018.
Dr. Cancelas, a native of Spain, received his medical degree from the Autonomous University of Madrid and a doctorate from the University of Alcala de Henares in Madrid, where he also did his residency. He also trained in the Cancer Research Institute of Barcelona and the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dr. Cancelas is a professor in the UC Department of Pediatrics and faculty in the Medical Scientist Training and Cancer and Cell Biology Programs at the UC College of Medicine. He serves as a leader in the Stem Cell Program, as an incumbent in the Beatrice C. Lampkin Endowment for Stem Cell and Hematotherapy and serves as a faculty member for the College of Medicine’s Molecular and Developmental Biology and Immunobiology Graduate Programs based at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.