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Surgical Oncology Task Force

The AACR Surgical Oncology Task Force was established to strengthen the engagement of surgical oncologists within the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and to further integrate surgical oncology into the broader cancer research continuum. Recognizing the critical role that surgical oncologists play in advancing translational discovery, biomarker-driven clinical investigation, immunotherapy, innovative clinical trial design, perioperative research, and multidisciplinary cancer care, the task force brings together an international group of leaders to help shape AACR’s scientific and programmatic priorities in this area.

The task force will identify high-impact scientific and clinical challenges that surgical oncologists are uniquely positioned to address, examine barriers to participation in cancer research, and recommend strategies to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, research funding opportunities, and training for the next generation of surgeon-scientists. Through this effort, AACR aims to further elevate the role of surgical oncology in cancer research, foster collaboration across disciplines, and accelerate discoveries that improve outcomes for patients with cancer.

Michael B. Yaffe, MD, PhD
Chair

Michael B. Yaffe, MD, PhD

Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering
MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Syed Ahmad, MD

Syed Ahmad, MD

Professor of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio

Olusegun I. Alatise, MBChB, MSc

Olusegun I. Alatise, MBChB, MSc

Professor of Surgery
Obafemi Awolowo University
Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Peter J. Allen, MD

Peter J. Allen, MD

Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology; Chair of Surgery
Duke University School of Medicine/Duke Cancer Institute
Durham, North Carolina

Heike Allgayer, MD, PhD

Heike Allgayer, MD, PhD

Professor, Department of Surgery and Cancer Metastasis
University of Heidelberg Medical Faculty Mannheim
Mannheim, Germany

Christina Angeles, MD

Christina Angeles, MD

Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Genevieve M. Boland, MD, PhD

Genevieve M. Boland, MD, PhD

Chair of Surgery
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Malcolm Brock, MD

Malcolm Brock, MD

Professor of Surgery
Director, Thoracic Oncology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland

Jashodeep Datta, MD

Jashodeep Datta, MD

Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, Florida

Ronald P. DeMatteo, MD

Ronald P. DeMatteo, MD

Chair, Department of Surgery
John Rhea Barton Professor of Surgery
Chief, Division of General Surgical Oncology
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD

Jeffrey A. Drebin, MD, PhD

Chair, Department of Surgery
Murray F. Brennan Endowed Chair
Professor of Surgery
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Timothy J. Eberlein, MD

Timothy J. Eberlein, MD

Director, Siteman Cancer Center
Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor of Surgery
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri

Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD

Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD

Cancer Center Executive Director, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
System Chief, Oncology Clinical Services
Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Ryan Courtney Fields, MD

Ryan Courtney Fields, MD

Chair of Surgery
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York

Jennifer R. Grandis, MD

Jennifer R. Grandis, MD

Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
Associate Vice Chancellor, Clinical and Translational Research
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California

Jin Gu, MD

Jin Gu, MD

Director, Peking University Shougang Hospital
Peking University Shougang Hospital
Beijing, China

Andrea A. Hayes-Dixon, MD

Andrea A. Hayes-Dixon, MD

Chief, Division of Pediatric Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief, UNC Children’s Hospital
Professor of Surgery
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Alexander Heriot, MBBChir, MD

Alexander Heriot, MBBChir, MD

Professor of Surgery
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Jonathan M. Hernandez, MD

Jonathan M. Hernandez, MD

Chief, Surgical Oncology
National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Eun-Sil Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH

Eun-Sil Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH

Professor of Surgery
Duke University School of Medicine
Durham, North Carolina

Dineo Khabele, MD

Dineo Khabele, MD

Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri

Tari A. King, MD

Tari A. King, MD

Professor of Surgical Oncology
Emory University Winship Cancer Institute
Atlanta, Georgia

T. Peter Kingham, MD, FACS

T. Peter Kingham, MD, FACS

Director, Global Cancer Research and Training Program (GCRT)
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Steven K. Libutti, MD

Steven K. Libutti, MD

Director
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Shishir Maithel, MD

Shishir Maithel, MD

Professor of Surgery
Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD

Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD

Professor of Urology
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

Haitham Mirghani, MD, PhD

Haitham Mirghani, MD, PhD

ENT Surgeon
European Hospital Georges Pompidou
Paris, France

Do Joong Park, MD, PhD

Do Joong Park, MD, PhD

Professor
Chief, Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery
Seoul National University College of Medicine/Seoul National University Hospital
Seoul, South Korea

Robert Taylor Ripley, MD

Robert Taylor Ripley, MD

Professor and Associate Chief of Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas

Luz Maria Rodriguez, MD, FACS

Luz Maria Rodriguez, MD, FACS

Surgical Oncologist and Colorectal Surgeon
National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Simpa Salami, MD, MPH

Simpa Salami, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Urology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

J. Josh Smith, MD, PhD

J. Josh Smith, MD, PhD

Associate Attending Surgeon
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas

John H. Stewart IV, MD, MBA

John H. Stewart IV, MD, MBA

Chair, Department of Surgery
Chief of Surgery
Associate Dean for Oncological Programs
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia

Brendon Stiles, MD

Brendon Stiles, MD

Professor and Chief, Thoracic Surgery and Surgical Oncology
Montefiore Einstein
Bronx, New York

Carol J. Swallow, MD, PhD

Carol J. Swallow, MD, PhD

Professor of Surgery
Sinai Health/University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario

Kenneth K. Tanabe, MD

Kenneth K. Tanabe, MD

Professor of Surgery
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Jose G. Treviño, MD

Jose G. Treviño, MD

Chair, Division of Surgical Oncology
Surgeon-in-Chief, Massey Cancer Center
Walter Lawrence Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgical Oncology
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia

Alan Tsung, MD

Alan Tsung, MD

Chair of Surgery
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Charlottesville, Virginia

Robert M. Wenham, MD

Robert M. Wenham, MD

Senior Member, Department of Gynecologic Oncology
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, Florida

Jen Jen Yeh, MD

Jen Jen Yeh, MD

Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Gelareh Zadeh, MD, PhD

Gelareh Zadeh, MD, PhD

Professor
Neurosurgeon-Scientist
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota