Newswise — After a national search, Allen M. Chen, M.D., has been appointed the new Joe and Jean Brandmeyer Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He will join the faculty on October 1, 2016.
Chen will succeed Terry Tsue, M.D., the Douglas A. Girod, M.D., Endowed Professor of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, physician in chief for the University of Kansas Cancer Center, and vice chair for administrative affairs in the Department of Otolaryngology, who has served as interim chair since July 2015.
"We are pleased that Dr. Allen Chen will join us to lead our Radiation Oncology Department," said Robert D. Simari, M.D., executive dean for the University of Kansas School of Medicine. "Dr. Chen is a recognized expert in the treatment of head and neck cancer. He possesses proven leadership skills and has developed a well-earned reputation as a mentor and advocate for numerous others in the field."
Chen is currently professor and vice chair of education in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as director of the Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program, a position he also previously held at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.
Internationally renowned for his research in the treatment of head and neck cancers, Chen has published over 150 peer-reviewed original articles, most of which pertain to the use of advanced technologies to optimize cure rates, improve quality of life, and evaluate radiation response of both tumors and normal tissue. He is the principle investigator for several clinical trials combining drugs with radiation including investigator-initiated translational protocols and cooperative group trials run by the NRG Oncology Group and the Southwestern Oncology Group.
Dr. Chen's extensive experience will play an important role as The University of Kansas Cancer Center seeks NCI-comprehensive designation.
"An internationally respected researcher and a proven leader, Dr. Chen will play a key role in continuing to expand our clinical research portfolio and building on our success in accruing patients for radiation therapy studies," said Roy Jensen, M.D, director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
He is currently president-elect of the Association for Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs and serves on leadership committees for the American Society for Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Institute, and American College of Radiology. He has also been the recipient of multiple accolades for teaching including the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Educator of the Year award.
"I am grateful for the confidence that Dean Simari and the Search Committee have shown in my abilities, and look forward to working with such an outstanding team at the University of Kansas," said Chen. "It is an exciting time in radiation oncology - with technological advances and molecular breakthroughs improving our understanding of cancer - and the department is well-positioned to establish a national presence on the forefront of academic medicine, while ensuring the best possible cancer care for the citizens of Kansas and beyond."
After receiving a dual bachelor's degree in American history and the biological sciences at Cornell University, Chen earned his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. He completed residency training in radiology oncology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. He is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology.
RSS