Musshafen named to new leadership post at UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute

Published on Thursday, October 12, 2023

Dr. Leslie Musshafen has been named the associate director of administration at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Cancer Center and Research Institute.

Musshafen has over 13 years of executive leadership experience in developing, directing and managing of research programs and services in the administration of grants, contracts, clinical trials and other sponsored programs. Musshafen, who earned a PhD in population health science, previously served as executive director of research for the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, where she was the business administrative lead of the research mission of UMMC and advisor to the associate vice chancellor of research.

As the associate director of administration for CCRI, Musshafen will be responsible for leading the operations of the institute. She will work in conjunction with CCRI director, Dr. Rodney Rocconi, on short and long-term goals, including significant recruitment of nationally-respected cancer care providers and researchers and achieving National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation as the only comprehensive cancer center in the state.

“As associate director of administration, my work will largely be two-fold: working with Dr. Rocconi and the rest of the CCRI leadership team to set a strategic plan to achieve those goals, and equally important, operationalizing the plan. In short, striking the proverbial balance of vision with action,” said Musshafen. “Our goals are ambitious, but I’m excited to help build and be a part of a team capable of radically shifting the health of our population for the better.”

With oversight of more than $15 million in institutional funding, legislative appropriations and grant funding, Musshafen has been instrumental in the development of the Clinical Research Support Program, a “recharge center” providing clinical research coordinators, regulatory specialists and other clinical research support personal on an as-needed basis. She has also been instrumental in the development of the institution’s first Office of Clinical Trials and an $8 million, 22-bed Clinical Research and Trials Unit in the main hospital.

Musshafen served as a liaison between UMMC, the National Institutes of Standards and Technology and a host of local architects resulting in the construction of the Translational Research Center, a $50 million, seven-story research and education facility located on the main campus.

Rocconi emphasized the vital role Musshafen will play in achieving NCI designation.

“Dr. Musshafen has an impressive history of success at UMMC. Her skillset is that of a “Swiss army knife” in that there is nothing she cannot do. Her institutional knowledge and depth and breadth of her talents as an administrative leader will be paramount to our cancer leadership team,” said Rocconi. “She will be instrumental in fulfilling the vision of our cancer center in providing state-of-the-art, research-driven cancer care for all Mississippians.”