Howard R. Soule, Ph.D., to Retire as Chief Science Officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation

— Celebrating Three Decades of Visionary Leadership and Scientific Progress —

— Dr. Andrea Miyahira to Lead PCF’s Scientific Programs —

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today announced that Howard R. Soule, Ph.D., will retire as PCF’s Chief Science Officer, Executive Vice President, and Lori and Michael Milken Chair at the end of March 2026. For nearly three decades, Dr. Soule’s visionary leadership of PCF’s prestigious and high-impact programs to advance prostate cancer research and treatments has helped improve and extend the lives of countless patients with prostate cancer, helping drive the work behind 14 new life-extending therapies and paving the way for many promising new avenues of clinical investigation.

Dr. Soule has served as an executive leader of PCF since 1997. Under his guidance, PCF has stewarded contributions from hundreds of thousands of donors—investing over $690 million in over 2,250 breakthrough scientific investigations across the globe, pioneering early research and collaborative models that continue to energize the field, funding and mentoring nearly 500 early-career investigators, and catalyzing bench-to-bedside discoveries that have produced new therapies such as novel androgen receptor signaling inhibitors, PSMA imaging and radioligand therapies, precision treatments like PARP inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and CAR T cells.

Andrea K. Miyahira, Ph.D. will succeed Dr. Soule in her new role as PCF’s Vice President of Global Research & Innovation. Dr. Miyahira has worked closely with Dr. Soule at PCF since 2013, overseeing PCF’s research awards program, mentoring talented early-career investigators, creating innovative academic and industry collaborations, and convening PCF’s scientific conferences.

“I’m proud of the remarkable therapeutic progress we have achieved and the breakthrough research I’ve had the privilege to advance through my work at the Prostate Cancer Foundation,” said Dr. Soule. “Together, we have identified major new therapeutic targets and transformed disease management and survivorship for patients and families worldwide. I am especially proud of the cross-disciplinary and global community of scientists and physicians from academia and industry which we have assembled and which is unparalleled in any area of cancer research. I am inspired by Dr. Miyahira’s strong stewardship of PCF’s scientific programs and confident in her success as we begin this new chapter.”

During his tenure, Dr. Soule steered PCF’s extensive global impact on cancer research and treatment innovations, convening scientists from diverse fields to tackle the most challenging problems in prostate cancer today, organizing the world’s leading scientific conferences for prostate cancer, driving advocacy which increased federal funding for cancer research, and leading international scientific delegations to advance global cooperation and prostate cancer care.

One of Dr. Soule’s earliest achievements was overseeing the PCF Therapy Consortium, which conducted key clinical trials for life-extending prostate cancer therapies, including abiraterone, enzalutamide, and docetaxel. The PCF Therapy Consortium later became the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC), which today is the largest clinical trials consortium in prostate cancer and among the largest in any cancer worldwide.

Dr. Soule has also served on the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program Integration Panel and the Department of Veterans Affairs and PCF Steering Committee, mentored the development of multiple non-profit research organizations after the PCF model, and in 2013 received the ASCO Partners in Progress Award. In addition, he advises several prostate cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs), and is a pro bono advisor to many biopharmaceutical companies, helping them leverage their pipeline to optimally benefit patients with prostate cancer.

“For decades, Dr. Soule’s passion, innovation, and dedication to prostate cancer research and patients have set the bar for scientific leaders across every field of oncology,” said Gina Carithers, President and Chief Executive Officer of PCF. “Dr. Soule’s ability to pioneer new research directions, attract, mentor, and retain top talent, and cultivate novel interdisciplinary collaborations have broken barriers and extended and improved the lives of countless patients worldwide. PCF is deeply grateful to Dr. Soule and excited about our future direction under the visionary leadership of Dr. Miyahira.”

As Dr. Soule’s successor, Dr. Andrea Miyahira brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and insight to her new role. Since 2013, she has helped direct PCF’s global scientific knowledge exchange programs, produced its scientific publications and communications, developed its comprehensive career development program for PCF Young Investigator Awardees, and instituted the PCF Gender Equity Networking Initiative (GENI) Forum. Most recently, she established two new UroToday Centers of Excellence on translational research and women in science.

Prior to joining PCF, Dr. Miyahira earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she elucidated mechanisms of immune responses to pathogenic infections and cancer. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at Stanford University and City of Hope, where she identified immune system abnormalities in patients with cancer and their associations with clinical outcomes.

“I am honored to be chosen to lead PCF’s Scientific Programs,” Dr. Miyahira said. “Dr. Soule has been my mentor for over 12 years, and I am deeply grateful to him for passing on to me his extensive knowledge of prostate cancer research advances and the skills and insight to foster community among researchers and lead highly productive teams. I am committed to honoring Dr. Soule’s legacy and partnering with PCF’s extraordinary network of scientists and supporters to accelerate new research directions that will ultimately extend and improve the lives of patients across the world.”

Dr. Miyahira assumed her new role on December 1, 2025.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has raised more than $1 billion to fund cutting-edge research through more than 2,250 research projects at 245 leading cancer centers, with a global footprint spanning 28 countries. Since PCF's inception, and through its efforts, patients around the world are living longer, suffering fewer complications, and enjoying better quality of life. PCF is committed to the vision of ending death and suffering from prostate cancer. Learn more at pcf.org.