Former Fortune editor Leaf named Ellison Institute fellow

The Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine is launching a Global Fellows program and has named former Fortune editor in chief Clifton Leaf as its first fellow.

Leaf was the 19th editor-in-chief of Fortune, where he directed the editorial content and strategy across all platforms. Previously, he served as deputy editor of Fortune for three years, overseeing the print magazine, and prior to that was a guest editor for the New York Times op-ed page and Sunday Review.

“Too often in health care, the day-to-day incentives — whether they be for researchers, clinicians, payers, regulators, or even patients — are misaligned with the end goal,” said Leaf in a statement. “We might all agree, for instance, that collaboration and sharing data across disciplines or institutions are worthy aims — and perhaps offer the best chance for solving the most complex of medical mysteries — but incentives built into the system can make both very challenging today.”

In a 2004 article, Leaf asked “Why aren’t we winning the war on cancer?” He followed with a book titled “The Truth in Small Doses: Why We’re Losing the War on Cancer—and How to Win It.” The book was named one of “The Best Books About Cancer” by Newsweek and earned Leaf a Lifetime Achievement Award for cancer reporting from the European School of Oncology.

Both the article and book raised questions related to the need for patient focus, innovation, and urgency in cancer research.