Surgical Fellowship, 2003-2004

After finishing fellowship training in 2004 at Memorial Sloan Kettering, I joined the Department of Surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. Currently, I am a UF Assistant Professor of Surgical Oncology and Chief of the Breast, Melanoma, and Sarcoma Service, caring for patients at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. Along with my colleagues in the Division, we have established a new program in regional chemotherapy for extremity tumors (melanoma and sarcoma) at Shands Hospital. Further, we have been working on application of proton radiation therapy in combination with molecularly targeted therapy for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.

Since arriving at the University of Florida, I have established a funded, interdisciplinary program in cancer nanotechnology. I am currently working in collaboration with UF investigators in material and particle science and biomedical engineering, as well as, the mathematical oncology group at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, to develop novel, biocompatible therapeutic contrast agents for combinatorial cancer diagnosis, detection and non-invasive therapy. Our work, to date, has resulted in several U.S. patent applications and we are working towards clinical application of emerging technology for cancer diagnosis and therapy. I am currently editing a book with Professor Brij Moudgil (UF Distinguished and Alumni Professor of Material Science) entitled “Cancer Nanotechnology” for Humana Press, which is expected to be released in 2009.