 While serving as director of the Lombardi Cancer Center, Pestell led the effort for renewal of its National Cancer Institute designation, and founded the Capital Breast Care Center with Andrea Jung of the Avon Foundation.In 2003 he was also named president of the US branch of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research.From 2005 to 2015, Pestell was director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and executive vice president of Thomas Jefferson University.