ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group announces the retirement of Robert Gray after 25 years as group statistician
image: Robert J. Gray, PhD
Credit: ECOG-ACRIN
The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) announced the retirement of Robert J. (Bob) Gray, PhD, from his position as Group Statistician, Therapeutics, effective February 28, 2026. Dr. Gray will continue to serve the group in a senior advisory capacity.
Dr. Gray received his PhD in Statistics from Oregon State University in 1982 and has since been affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the School of Public Health, Harvard University. He has been a member of the faculty at Harvard since 1984 and a tenured Professor of Biostatistics since 2003. His research activities involve the design and analysis of clinical trials and the study of related statistical issues.
Dr. Gray has been a central figure in ECOG-ACRIN for more than 25 years, holding one of the most senior scientific leadership roles within the organization. He became group statistician in 2000, succeeding Dr. David Harrington, who followed Dr. Marvin Zelen, the founding statistician of the former Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Only three statistical leaders have held this position in the group's 71-year history, underscoring the continuity and influence of Dr. Gray’s tenure.
Under Dr. Gray’s leadership, the ECOG-ACRIN Biostatistical Center has been foundational to the group’s scientific rigor and international reputation. Dr. Gray’s scholarly contributions extend beyond specific trials. His foundational work in competing risks methodology and in methods for monitoring ongoing clinical trials is widely cited across statistical and clinical research communities. He has also mentored generations of students and junior statisticians, many of whom now hold prominent academic and industry leadership roles.
In addition to overseeing the statistical integrity of individual trials, Dr. Gray has shaped ECOG-ACRIN’s broader scientific direction. He provided key guidance as the group expanded into genomics and embedded translational science into early-phase and adjuvant studies. In 2014, when ECOG-ACRIN and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched the landmark Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice (MATCH) precision oncology trial, Dr. Gray served as the lead statistician, working closely with NCI’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program to craft a flexible yet rigorous design capable of yielding meaningful results across 38 molecularly driven single-arm phase 2 subprotocols.
He has played a longstanding leadership role on the group’s Data and Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC), serving as its statistical lead since 1996. Notable too is his statistical leadership of the Trial Assigning IndividuaLized Options for Treatment (TAILORx), one of the most impactful breast cancer trials conducted by the group. Most recently, he oversaw the statistical interpretation of genomic, pathomic, and clinical data derived from TAILORx specimens, which were presented as part of a public-private partnership with Caris Life Sciences® at the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
“Bob’s influence on the culture, rigor, and collaborative spirit of ECOG-ACRIN cannot be overstated,” said ECOG-ACRIN Group Co-Chair Peter J. O’Dwyer, MD. “His leadership has shaped not only our scientific standards, but also the integrity with which we conduct and interpret research. We are deeply grateful for his service and are fortunate that he will continue to contribute in an advisory role.”
Paul J. Catalano, ScD, has been appointed as ECOG-ACRIN Group Statistician, Therapeutics, effective March 1, 2026, ensuring continuity in the statistical leadership of the cancer therapy clinical trials portfolio. He joins Constantine A. Gatsonis, PhD, who continues to serve as ECOG-ACRIN Group Statistician, Imaging.
The group is deeply grateful for Dr. Gray’s service and the lasting impact he has had across ECOG-ACRIN and the oncology research community.
About ECOG-ACRIN
The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group is an expansive membership-based scientific organization known for advancing precision oncology through its leadership of major national clinical trials that integrate innovative genomic approaches. It comprises nearly 21,000 researchers and advocates from over 1400 member hospitals and cancer centers across the United States and worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ecog-acrin.org and follow us on X @EAonc, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.