David Jaffray, PhD

SVP, Chief Technology & Digital Officer, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Professor, Radiation Physics and Imaging Physics

Dr. Jaffray is world-renowned for pioneering state-of-the-art image-guided radiation therapy, advancing the science and practice in medical physics, and for international leadership in clinical data science for oncology. Recruited to MD Anderson in May 2019, Dr. Jaffray serves as the IDSO director and is the institution’s inaugural chief technology and digital officer, bringing more than two decades of scientific expertise and proven skill as an innovator. In this role, he directs the strategic design, acquisition, management and implementation of an enterprise-wide technology infrastructure to safeguard the integrity and availability of the institution’s systems and intellectual property assets. He and his leadership team advance data integration, data governance and data security across MD Anderson’s campuses and its national network, as well as coordinate technology-enabled innovation. He also is a professor with dual appointments for Radiation Physics and Imaging Physics.

Over the course of his career, he has played an important role in bridging the fields of biomedical engineering and medical physics. He continues to facilitate dialog and partnership between these two important disciplines and how they can tackle major health challenges worldwide. For his leadership, Dr. Jaffray was recognized in 2021 as a Fellow of the International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine and in 2022 as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Dr. Jaffray holds 47 patents and has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications in cancer science and technology, including the development of new radiation treatment machines, the exploration of the fundamental limits of imaging system performance, the development of novel nanoparticle formulations for improved detection of cancer, and challenges in global health.