Zakim Center Leadership Delivering Excellence in Integrative Therapies
- Vikki Kolbe
- Dec 30, 2025
- 2 min read
A conversation with Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, Director of the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living
On October 22, 2025, I attended the 25th anniversary celebration of the Leonard P.
Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute. The event was hosted by Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, the center’s director, and Dr.
Ting Bao, co-director, together with Joyce Zakim, widow of Leonard P. Zakim, and Dr.
Craig Bunnell, Dana-Farber’s chief medical officer, who also delivered remarks. During
the celebration, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ligibel and later arranged to speak
with her in greater detail about the Zakim Center on December 19, 2025.
Dr. Jennifer Ligibel: Leadership and Research
According to the Dana-Farber website, Dr. Jennifer Ligibel is a Professor at Harvard
Medical School and a Senior Physician in the Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute. Her research is centered on understanding how energy balance
factors—such as physical activity and body weight—impact cancer risk and patient
outcomes. Over the course of her career, Dr. Ligibel has led more than a dozen
randomized trials examining the effects of exercise and weight loss interventions on
several endpoints, including cardiorespiratory fitness, cancer-related biomarkers, body
composition, and quality of life for cancer patients and survivors. A major
accomplishment from this work is the development and execution of the Breast Cancer
Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial (NCT02750826), which is the only fully powered Phase III
clinical trial designed to assess how a weight loss intervention affects invasive disease-
free survival in women with early-stage breast cancer and obesity.
Building Comprehensive Clinical Programs
In addition to her research, Dr. Ligibel serves as Director of the Leonard P. Zakim
Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living. She has established a
comprehensive Healthy Living Program at Dana-Farber which includes a diverse range
of offerings, such as exercise classes, nutrition seminars, cooking demonstrations,
healthy cooking programs for families, weight management initiatives, and holistic
longitudinal programs that support wellness during and after cancer treatment.
Looking Ahead
In an upcoming blog, I will share highlights from my conversation with Dr. Ligibel,
including the center’s vision and goals. Key topics will include the importance of
delivering in-person and virtual services for all Dana-Farber patients and providing
these offerings at no cost to participants. The discussion will also cover key insights and
recommendations from Dr. Ligibel to patients and caregivers about having open
conversations with their care team and asking for help when there are challenges during
the care journey.
If you’re interested in exploring the Zakim Center’s work in more detail, I’ve attached their multi-page report below. It’s a helpful reference that summarizes their programs and support services in one place.