Linehan named Neidorff and Packman Professor​​​​​​​​

​David C. Linehan, MD, has been named the inaugural Neidorff Family and Robert C. Packman Professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Linehan, professor of surgery and chief of the Section of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Gastrointestinal Surgery, specializes in treating benign and malignant diseases of the bile duct, gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. His research, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), focuses on the environment that surrounds cancer cells and on immune responses to pancreatic cancer.

The professorship is named for donors Michael and Noémi Neidorff and honoree Robert C. Packman, MD. Michael Neidorff is chairman, president and CEO of Centene Corp. Packman, a former professor of clinical medicine at the School of Medicine, is senior vice president of medical affairs at Centene.

“This professorship recognizes a commitment to the health and well-being of others,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. “It is a fitting tribute to the work of Dr. Packman and, of course, provides important support and recognition to Dr. Linehan. Michael and Noémi Neidorff have done many things for our St. Louis community, and this wonderful new professorship represents a magnificent gift for Washington University, contributing to enhancing our outstanding faculty.”

Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, said he was pleased to recognize Linehan’s research and clinical efforts.

“Dr. Linehan and his team have worked tirelessly on behalf of patients in St. Louis and across the globe,” Shapiro said. “This is an appropriate honor for his many health-related pursuits.”

A translational researcher, Linehan also serves as principal investigator of several ongoing clinical trials at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

“Being named the Neidorff Family and Robert C. Packman Professor is an incredible honor,” Linehan said. “Many patients and their loved ones will benefit from the dedication of these individuals and the talented researchers I have the honor of working alongside. Together, we’re committed to easing the impact of cancer.”

Linehan also is director of the nationally acclaimed Hepatobiliary Surgery Fellowship Training Program and is a dedicated teacher to residents in the operating room and in the laboratory. He is a past recipient of the Evarts A. Graham Teaching Award, an honor bestowed by surgical residents in appreciation for excellence and dedication to teaching.

In April, Linehan was named one of seven principal researchers on a “dream team” dedicated to pancreatic cancer research. Team members will share a three-year, $8 million grant and will collaborate to develop new therapies that use patients’ own immune cells to treat their cancers. Stand Up To Cancer, The Lustgarten Foundation and the Fox Family Cancer Research Funding Trust, along with the American Association for Cancer Research, announced the research team.

Linehan received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts. He received surgical training at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School and completed a research fellowship in the Laboratory of Biological Cancer Therapy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital under the mentorship of Timothy Eberlein, MD, who today is director of Siteman Cancer Center. After completing his general surgery training, Linehan served as the Kristin Ann Carr Fellow in Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He joined the Washington University faculty in 1999.

About Michael and Noémi Neidorff
Michael Neidorff is chairman, president and CEO of Centene Corp., which operates Medicaid health plans in 20 states and serves nearly 2.9 million members. In addition to offering cost-effective coverage solutions to underinsured and uninsured individuals, Centene contracts with other health-care and commercial organizations to provide specialty services, including behavioral health care, care-management software, correctional systems health care, in-home health services, life and health management, managed vision care, pharmacy benefits management and specialty pharmacy and telehealth services.

Noémi Neidorff is an active leader in the arts community, serving currently on The Kennedy Center’s International Committee on the Arts; on the boards of Artist Presentation Society, Saint Louis Art Museum and Missouri Historical Society; and on the executive committees of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Manhattan School of Music. She is Chairman of the Radio Arts Foundation’s Advocacy Council and has played a significant role in bringing a new radio station, RAF-STL, to the region, with the mission of bringing classical music back on the air and promoting all of the arts.

About Robert C. Packman, MD
Robert C. Packman, MD, is senior vice president of medical affairs for Centene Corp. He previously served as a professor of clinical medicine for more than 35 years at the School of Medicine. During this time, he served as coursemaster for the senior student elective in ambulatory medicine, as a part-time faculty representative to the executive faculty and as president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital Medical Staff Association. He chaired the Barnes Hospital Medical Records Committee for five years, served on the School of Medicine admissions committee for eight years and chaired the Barnes Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee for more than 30 years.

When he was chief resident at Barnes Hospital, Packman, along with co-chief resident J. Russell Little, MD, created a pocket-sized outline on therapeutics for senior medical students to improve patient care. Their 1962 Manual of Medical Therapeutics was published by Little, Brown and Co. Packman edited two subsequent editions of the manual, known today as The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics. The guide is revised every two to three years by Washington University faculty and chief residents, has been translated into 12 languages and continues to be one of the best-selling medical textbooks worldwide.


Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s​ hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
Siteman Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Missouri, is ranked among the top cancer facilities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Comprising the cancer research, prevention and treatment programs of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, Siteman is also Missouri’s only member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.